Football

Leeds boss Gracia says “nothing’s changed” after Forest win

April 6, 2023 2:30 pm

javi gracia

Leeds United manager Javi Gracia was unmoved in the aftermath of what looked like a crucial victory for his team over Nottingham Forest, saying “nothing’s changed” in this season’s relegation race.

The Yorkshiremen went one goal down after just 12 minutes of their basement battle with Forest at Elland Road on Tuesday evening, though they showed their mettle and hit back with goals either side of the break to earn three crucial points.

Goals from Jack Harrison and Luis Sinisterra did the damage for Leeds, who were able to catapult themselves up five places to 13th position in the Premier League standings.

Every game important says Gracia

Speaking after Leeds’s impressive comeback win over Forest, Gracia was keen to keep his players’ feet on the ground, saying.

“For me nothing’s changed,” he insisted. “We need more points and we try to play with the same desire, the same energy. Nothing’s changed for me.

“We have to know how difficult it is to get a win in this competition. We know how hard it is to get the three points.

“Of course, we have a positive opportunity. We have to be humble and give importance to every single game.”

Gracia building something at Leeds

Javi Gracia was appointed as Leeds’s latest manager in late February to replace the ousted Jesse Marsch and the former Watford and Valencia coach has made a promising start to his stint at Elland Road.

In seven Premier League fixtures since his arrival, Leeds have claimed a respectable ten points, which is a marked improvement on their four-point haul from seven games before that.

On home soil, Gracia has led Leeds to two wins and a draw in three matches, with crucial victories over relegation rivals Southampton and Nottingham Forest bookended a useful 2-2 draw with high-flying Brighton.

Leeds have yet another home game on the menu at the weekend when they welcome Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace to Elland Road, where another victory for the hosts would allow them to leapfrog the Eagles in 12th position.

Gracia praises Elland Road atmosphere

Javi Gracia was quick to emphasise the power of home advantage in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s game against Palace on Thursday, saying:

“Massive for us. It’s something I’m sure it will make the difference for us, playing at home with the atmosphere we have, it’s special. You could feel in the last game, we started losing and all the support we felt in that moment helped us to get three points at the end of the game. It’s something extra for us. I always want to thank our supporters for the support they give us.”

“Now we can speak about how important it is to get six points in these two games but I’m not watching our last game to give more or less importance to the next.

“Now it’s a new game where we know it’s our objective in play and we need the points. Now it’s trying to be focused on that game. It’s like if it were a final for us, we have to play with that mentality.”

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