Leeds United will host their weekly press conference on Friday afternoon ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Southampton at the foot of the table. Javi Gracia was appointed as head coach on Tuesday, but the club had made clear paperwork on his work permit remained outstanding at that point.
There has been nothing official from Elland Road since the announcement, but assuming Gracia will be permitted to hold his first briefing there are a number of topics on the agenda. Here is a run-down of the subjects he may be asked about if he’s in the hotseat.
Backroom team
Earlier this week, LeedsLive reported Zigor Aranalde, Juan Solla and Mikel Antia were expected to follow Gracia into Thorp Arch. The new head coach could be asked to confirm those appointments and what roles they will fulfil under his leadership at Leeds.
READ MORE: McKennie takes Leeds United dressing room by storm as Rutter dazzles after January arrivals
Confidence in beating the drop
Evidently, Gracia has taken on this role and wooed the board of directors with his confident manner and presentation. With Leeds second from bottom on two wins from their last 20 games, the Spaniard may be pushed on why he is confident and what it was he told the club’s top brass during the recruitment process.
A delayed succession
Despite being out of work, Gracia was not confirmed as Jesse Marsch’s successor until more than two weeks had passed. It is widely understood Andoni Iraola, Arne Slot and Marcelo Gallardo were the leading targets for Victor Orta, but obstacles came between all three and Elland Road.
The new boss may well be asked whether he has any reservations about being some way down the original hit list. Furthermore, does he relish the opportunity to prove any sceptics wrong about his arrival?
Tactical outlook
Inevitably, Gracia’s tactical philosophy is going to come up if he does face the media today. All the rudimentary reading on the internet will not be able to compete with a direct evaluation on what fans can expect, directly from the horse’s mouth.
Injuries
He may have only been in the building a short time, but Gracia will, of course, be quizzed on who is and is not available for tomorrow’s match. Adam Forshaw, Marc Roca, Stuart Dallas, Rodrigo, Pascal Struijk and Luis Sinisterra were all unavailable last weekend.
READ NEXT:
Leeds United dressing room pain must not boil over into desperate blame-game finger-pointing
Javi Gracia has to hope 50-50 Leeds United calls go his way in one-off window to weave his magic
Javi Gracia's Leeds United welcome text and dressing room expectations of what's coming
Leeds United's new backroom staff set for Newcastle-Benitez flavour under Javi Gracia
Rodrigo sets Leeds United timescale for early return from ankle surgery after FA Cup setback
