There’s little doubt that Javi Gracia has got his work cut out to keep Leeds United up this season, and if he fails to do so, there could be a ready-made replacement waiting in the wings.
At the time of writing, the Spaniard has 12 matches to effectively save the Elland Road based club’s season.
Although Leeds are second from bottom in the Premier League they are only four points away from Crystal Palace in 12th position, so if Gracia can get the team playing in the right manner, there’s no reason why they can’t pull away from the relegation zone.
Palace have only recently sacked Patrick Vieira from the managerial hot-seat of course, and it’s the Frenchman that might be interested in any Leeds vacancy should one arise.
According to The Athletic, Vieira was already intrigued by the possibility of managing the club when Jesse Marsch was sacked earlier in the season.
Though nothing ever came of it, the notion that the Frenchman appeared to be considering such a move is an interesting one.
At present of course, Gracia is the man in the box seat. If he keeps Leeds in the English top-flight, it’s unlikely that the club’s board will look elsewhere.
Perhaps if they were to drop into the Championship that wouldn’t be as exciting a proposition for Vieira in any event.
Leeds remain a big club, however, and there will be a certain amount of cachet attached to the managerial role if and when available.
We have had enough bad managers at the club. Why on earth would we want another one no wins in 12
We need someone who can get the players we need and can tell the board who he wants rather than who he gets. Never the less we need a win today.