Zigor Aranalde and Juan Solla likely to join Javi Gracia at Leeds United as backroom staff changes shared
Javi Gracia is likely to wring the changes to the backroom staff setup at Leeds United after taking over as manager until the end of the season.
The Spanish coach was appointed as Jesse Marsch’s successor on a “flexible contract”, believed to be until the end of the season with the option of extending for a further year if he is able to keep the team in the Premier League.
He is now looking at his staff for the remainder of the season, with Leeds-Live sharing that some changes have already taken place while a familiar duo are likely to join him at the club sooner rather than later.
“Given how close Armas was with Marsch, it remains to be seen what role Gracia finds for him on the training field though Sharp, who chose to stay after the American’s exit, has taken on more of an analyst’s role, away from the pitches, already,” they wrote (22 February).
“Abad, who worked under Victor Orta at Elche and Middlesbrough before coming to Leeds, is bound to be safe to keep his role.
“Zigor Aranalde, who played for Walsall and Carlisle United before retirement, looks a strong bet follow Gracia to Elland Road.
“The 49-year-old was his compatriot’s assistant at Watford, Valencia and Al Sadd. He remains out of work currently, as does Juan Solla. Solla has spent his entire coaching career by Gracia’s side at 10 different clubs.”
Change
We’d be lying if we said to you that we know a lot about Aranalde and Solla, but change must be welcomed at Elland Road.
The recent tenure of Jesse Marsch had plenty of familiar faces and yet it went pear-shaped, with fans never really fully getting behind the manager because he replaced Marcelo Bielsa and because performances were never truly convincing.
But now with Gracia he needs our full support to get us out of the hole that Marsch helped get us into, and if that means he needs to bring in familiar faces to help him get his message across then we’re all for it.
The shuffling of the already existing staff is a good thing too as it rewards Michael Skubala for the great job he did in tough times of keeping the squad together. It also shows that the staff are loyal to Leeds and not Marsch.
We need everyone pulling together to get out of trouble, and that starts with a raucous atmosphere at Elland Road on Saturday against Southampton to pull us up the table.
In other Leeds news, one title-winning manager has been tipped by an insider to take the Elland Road job in the summer should they avoid relegation.
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