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William Jackson

Every word Javi Gracia said on Leeds United's win, Sinisterra, Meslier message and Steve Cooper

Congratulations on the win, how pleased are you obviously with the victory but also the performance?

Yeah, I'm very pleased because as you say the performance was really good and after we got a good result, but first the performance was good. I think we should have killed the game before. We didn't do it and after we had to suffer at the end of the game, but the performance was good.

The attitudes after conceding a goal, again, at home, started losing. After the reaction of the team was perfect and is something I'm really proud.

McKennie and Roca possibly had their best games for Leeds tonight. What did you do to allow them to play at their best today? How did you make that work?

The secret is they are good players. After that I try to give them the information about the team, try to find a way to attack and defend better because as you know Nottingham Forest today, in my opinion they didn't create clear chances. They score a goal they had some chances but not so clear and they usually do it, is very dangerous team in counter. They are very good with the players they play up front and then today I'm really happy with my players when they attack, creating the chances but with the concentration. With the concentration we defended is something I'm really proud.

Read more: Harrison's turnaround and Roca runs the show as Leeds United see off Nottingham Forest

At the other end, Sinisterra and Bamford, obviously a great goal from Sinisterra, did they both do what you wanted them to do tonight?

I think maybe you you've seen many times Luis and Bamford play in this team. Today in my opinion, they play outstanding game both. Not only these two players, because if we are speaking about all of them, my opinion is the same. Defenders did an amazing job because the time we were attacking they were all the time paying attention press defence, controlling their players out there and you know how difficult is to keep all this concentration during all the game. I think is it was the key of the game the way we were focused. When we have to defend and pursue we should do to kill the game before.

What was your message to Illan Meslier in the second half when you called him over and was the game getting a little bit chaotic for you? Did you want to control it more?

During the second half I spoke with him. They tried to put many times long balls and to speak with the defenders to be aware with these numbers we had to defend and to stay in the right distance with the defensive line because in that moment they wanted to play low to defend better. That was my message.

How hard was it to manage your decisions in the second half because it was so tightly poised, the team was playing well, you're always waiting for something to happen then you don't know how to change it?

We've spoken many times about this. We have players like Luis, like Rodrigo, that they cannot play all the game. That'd be something you have to manage during the game after the result but after that I have to take the best decisions with Patrick. He didn't play in the last game. For that reason I kept on the pitch more time but at the end I tried to replace the team with other players. It's hard for me to change players when the team is playing well. But I think the team needed.

Forest had a few counter attacks early on when Shelvey came on. He played a couple of dangerous balls but you were very quick to shut down both threats. How pleased were you with the way your players responded to your instructions?

I'm very, very proud with the attitude of the team defending. For sure we've conceded some chances but it was not easy to defend this thing. I have seen many games and I know how difficult is to be well organised during all the game and concentrated all the game. And we did it in crucial game in the best moment for us. We make an important step and now thinking in the next.

On a personal level, how happy are you with the impact that you've made in the short term?

I do my job, I try to do my job, I try to help the players to understand every single game the way is better to manage the game and to try to do have more options to get a good result and that's my job but the protagonists are the players.

Do you have sympathy for Steve Cooper when you see that he's under pressure at the moment?

That question isn't it for me but I wish all the coaches the best and this is what I can say, my support for all of them. All of us we try to do our job as best as possible and that decisions aren’t for us.

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