A week in football is a long time and there could not be a bigger difference between Javi Gracia’s Leeds United preparations now and last Wednesday. For one, the players were recovering from a hard 90 minutes at Fulham this time last week, which is a world away from the managed workloads of training at Thorp Arch.
The new head coach had even admitted the last thing he needed from the opening weeks of his tenure was three matches in the space of eight days. Gracia is still getting to know his environment, club staff, their routines, the players, their habits and trying to get across his tactical philosophy.
It’s hard to do when you have a cup game plonked in the middle of your vital first, official week with the players on the training pitches. The clear run at Brighton & Hove Albion from last weekend’s Chelsea loss should make a big difference for Gracia and his staff.
