Willy Gnonto’s touchline behaviour sparks odd reaction from Leeds coach Javi Gracia during Leicester game

Leeds United’s recent game against Leicester City could be said to have been the proverbial ‘six pointer,’ so a 1-1 draw didn’t really suit either club, and one international star champing at the bit to try and change things appears to have been overlooked.

With only five games left to play for the Elland Road outfit, things are getting quite dicey in the sense that Leeds only remain a point above the bottom three.

They play fellow strugglers Bournemouth next, followed by Man City, Newcastle, West Ham and Tottenham, and at present all five of those clubs also have something to play for.

To that end you would think that Javi Gracia would want all of his best players playing, but that doesn’t appear to be the case for Willy Gnonto.

Phil Hay, Leeds correspondent for The Athletic (subscription required), was aware of Gnonto’s touchline behaviour which appeared to spark no reaction at all from Gracia. Odd when you consider that the 19-year-old Italian international is probably one of the few players Leeds have that could potentially change the game.

‘Gnonto warmed up, sat down, warmed up, sat down; on and on until it became clear Gracia had no intention of changing his side in the final 20 minutes, a spell which was consumed by paralysis,’ Hay wrote.

‘[…] Gracia seemed to imply that after sending on Brenden Aaronson for Rodrigo on 68 minutes to try to press Leicester higher up the pitch, he had only one substitution window left and was not quite sure who on the pitch might run out of steam, but the crowd were left with the sense that Leeds were in the thick of a game they realistically had to win, holding back a player who might conceivably win it for them.’

If results go against the Yorkshire-based club in the next couple of games and then fall into the bottom three, Gracia’s stubbornness in not introducing the likes of Gnonto could come back to haunt him.

At this stage of the season it’s very much win or bust.

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