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Chris Knight

Leeds United told they were right to swap Jesse Marsch for Javi Gracia

Leeds United were right to replace Jesse Marsch with Javi Gracia - despite their Premier League status remaining precarious. That is the view of talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino, who namechecked the Whites in a review of the 'strange' trend of interim top-flight bosses.

United sit two points clear of the relegation zone ahead of Monday night's home encounter with Liverpool. However, Gracia's side were thumped in their last outing at Ellland Road, having led at the break against Crystal Palace before falling to a 5-1 defeat.

Marsch was sacked in February with just four Premier League victories this season and the Whites sat one place above the relegation zone. Little over two months later, Leeds have moved a solitary place higher but remain in the thick of a relegation battle with eight matches remaining.

READ MORE: Javi Gracia issues Leeds United leadership claim amid Crystal Palace collapse

However, that has not deterred Cascarino in his verdict of United's decision for a change of manager for a second successive season. He told talkSPORT: "Has it worked for Leeds having an interim manager? Yeah."

The appointment of Gracia emerged as part of a wider discussion over the increase of interim managers in recent months. Dean Smith became the sixth temporary appointment after replacing Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City, and Cascarino feels the moves at other clubs away from Leeds have so far not paid off.

The former striker added: "So far for the majority of them, it has not worked. It does seem strange planning for a club and a business that are so successful in revenue and being a Premier League club, that they don't have anyone in place. That was always the idea before, have someone ready.

"If you're going to sack someone, make sure you've got someone to step into his shoes. Quite clearly, this isn't the case for six teams in the Premier League."

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