Tyler Adams’ injury threw up plenty of questions about Javi Gracia’s Leeds United side as they prepared for the Premier League run-in. The American, who underwent surgery on a hamstring injury last month, has played a pivotal role throughout the course of the campaign at Elland Road with his dogged tenacity and destructive energy regularly providing a base for Leeds to build off.
News of his extended lay-off was consequently met with concern about whether United would be able to cope without him in the middle, and performances at Wolves and Arsenal did little to allay those fears. The pairing of Marc Roca and Weston McKennie struggled for traction at Molineux, despite the Whites’ 4-2 win, and the three-man makeshift midfield predictably never got a look in on Saturday afternoon at the Emirates.
However, it’s fair to say the Whites answered those questions and more on Tuesday night as they saw off Nottingham Forest to move out of the bottom three once more. It was comfortably Leeds’ biggest game of the season so far but Roca and McKennie produced their brightest showings in white, providing the right mix of guile and aggression to ensure Gracia's side dominated the contest for large periods.
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Neither man has found settling into a rhythm in this Leeds side easy since their respective arrivals at Elland Road. Roca has had bright moments, but he hasn’t made the impact he would have hoped for since making his summer switch from Bayern Munich.
The same can be said for McKennie, who, in truth, had flattered to deceive for United prior to Tuesday night’s showing. He looked the part in his first couple of appearances alongside Adams, but his level of performance dipped considerably throughout late February and March as he struggled to settle into a natural role within Gracia’s starting XI.
Both men were on top of their games on Tuesday night, though, as they pulled the strings and made Leeds tick on a raucous night in West Yorkshire. Roca ran the show in possession, constantly finding space on the field and looking to move the ball forward.
The Spaniard made a habit of receiving the ball on the half-turn before looking to bring the likes of Luis Sinisterra and Jack Harrison into play with his inch perfect passing game. Forest struggled to cope with his teasing balls behind the defensive line and on another day the chances he created could have made it more of a dominant scoreline.
He had a hand in Leeds’ first goal, though, stinging the palms of Keylor Navas with a shot from the edge of the area before Harrison poked home the rebound. McKennie, alongside him, deserves just as much praise for his performance against Steve Cooper’s side.
The American used the ball well, shifting possession with precision and intent but his defensive work was just as impressive. He had the home fans on their feet on several occasions with perfectly timed crunching challenges and he always got back to attempt to stifle the Reds’ attacking efforts.
It’s that work without the ball that caught the eye of the head coach on the night.
“The secret is they are good players,” Gracia said when asked about his midfield pairing after the game. “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.”
Gracia has every right to be proud of his side’s showing to give him his third win at the Elland Road helm, but the Whites aren’t out of the woods yet, far from it. As such, he’ll be demanding the same again from his side on Sunday when Crystal Palace made the journey north.
Roca and McKennie look almost guaranteed to start alongside each other in the middle again and if they can replicate their showings against Forest, Leeds won’t go far wrong.
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