UNDER-FIRE Javi Gracia insists he has not lost the Leeds dressing room.
The softly-spoken Spaniard demanded a reaction after the 5-1 humiliation at home to Crystal Palace — but his rallying call rang horribly hollow as his troubled troops were hit for six by Jekyll and Hyde Liverpool on Monday.
After such a poor reaction, fans fear the players may have downed tools as Gracia struggles to get his message across in the desperate fight for Premier League survival.
But the defiant Whites boss is confident he still has the full backing of his players as they head to Fulham on Saturday lunchtime looking to increase their slender two-point gap on the bottom three.
Gracia said: “My team is alive and we’ll show it in the next game because the desire and positive attitude is inside all of my players.
“I expect for sure a good reaction against Fulham. It’s not a time for words — it’s a time for actions.
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“A bad result doesn’t change my opinion about my players and I’m sure they still have the desire to play for their manager.
“They want it because they love the club, they love all the people here and they are good professionals.”
Gracia insists Leeds have not become a bad team overnight — despite shipping 11 goals in back-to-back home games to leave them with the worst defence in the top flight.
And the former Watford boss has refused to throw his players under the bus despite two high-profile no-shows that have left supporters questioning their stomach for the relegation dogfight.
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Today’s trip to Craven Cottage is followed by Tuesday’s crunch six-pointer with second-bottom Leicester at Elland Road.
Gracia said: “Sometimes you can have a bad day or a bad performance, and something that’s difficult to explain.
“We accept the criticism that’s come our way.
“But I believe in my players and in this crucial moment of the season I want to support them.
“Providing that kind of support is often most important when we are in the worst moment.
“From my first day here they showed me their quality and the way they compete.
“These last two bad games did not change that for me.”
“I’ve thought a lot about the team I’ll send out on Saturday because we need to change something.
Javi Gracia
Skipper Liam Cooper and Austria centre-back Max Wober are likely to return to central defence after injury.
Italy’s exiting 19-year-old winger Willy Gnonto is set for a first Prem start since last month’s win at Wolves.
Injury-hit midfielder Adam Forshaw is pushing for a start but striker Patrick Bamford is a doubt with a calf problem that ruled him out against the Reds.
Illan Meslier will keep his place in goal after Gracia backed the shell-shocked France Under-21 star.
He added: “We have conceded 11 goals in two games but it’s not down to him. When we concede — as when we score — it’s down to all of the team.
“I’ve thought a lot about the team I’ll send out on Saturday because we need to change something.
“We need to give something to the team at this moment and we’ve spent time considering that in these last few days.”
LEEDS (likely): Meslier, Ayling, Wober, Cooper, Firpo, Forshaw, Roca, Sinisterra, Harrison, Gnonto, Rodrigo.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
