Leeds United dressing room lost argument and Leicester City opportunity as Javi Gracia changes tack

Boss Javi Gracia calls it showing their best face, in other words delivering the kind of impression that an elite footballer would want the paying public and wider world to remember.

This Leeds United team, the class of 2022/23, has already lost the argument over whether or not they're anything more than a Premier League struggler because that has proved their reality up until this, the sharp end of the season, but they can still fend off a number of unwanted tags placed upon them. They can prove, perhaps not singularly through this game but over the course of the remaining six, that they are actually Premier League footballers, a team who deserve to belong in this division.

Belief among the fans has undoubtedly waned, slowly but steadily, as this campaign has unfolded. The past three performances and results have accelerated that process and left some supporters questioning not only the ability of their team but, perhaps most painfully, the level of heart and desire contained within the four walls of the dressing room.

It shouldn't matter a jot how long someone has worn the shirt, that kind of accusation should sting more than any other levelled at a player because it speaks to the bare minimum requirements. It speaks to being bothered enough to go above and beyond. It speaks to realising how privileged you are to wear a Leeds shirt and fighting tooth and nail to keep it. It speaks to how much you value the support you get from the supporters, home and away.

Gracia insisted on Monday afternoon that his team do have the necessary desire - he sees it at Thorp Arch every day - but even he has felt the need to challenge the players to show it when it matters most.

"I feel they have all that you're saying - they believe, they have the desire, but the other day I told them that when you feel something for someone, you have to do something," he said.

"You have to let them know you feel something for them, you have to do it. Now, of course, nobody doubts about your desire, your commitment but it's the moment to show it, to do it. After the last three defeats we have to do something different. Let the people know the desire you have. In every training session I can feel it, then you have to demonstrate on the field in the next game."

This Leicester City game is the biggest of the season. It is without equal. The consequences of its result will not be fatal for either side but the top flight life of whoever comes out without victory will, at the very least, sit under a severe threat. It will call for a strong stomach and likely lack quality. It will require every ounce of heart and desire the Leeds dressing room can muster, not least if they go behind.

The possibility of Elland Road turning is very real. It will be a bear pit from the start but Gracia's men need to feed it to keep it onside because patience is, for very good reason, dangerously thin. Perhaps that's why Gracia changed tack ever so slightly on Monday, going against his previous policy of not asking for support, because that would imply it is not already freely given.

Early on in his press conference he referenced the 'unconditional' support of the fans and later reiterated his lack of doubt, before tagging a request onto the end of his response.

"I told you after the game, I can understand that the supporters are angry but at the same time I know they will support the team, I don't have any doubt about that," he said.

"If I can say something to the fans it's support the players, because they need them."

At Fulham it was not so much the team or Gracia who became the target of supporter anger when the game began to slip away, but those responsible for putting this team together. It is no fault of an individual signing if he isn't the right profile or if the level is proving too much. There's not even any shame in that because this league is nightmarish in its demands of players, in every sense. Every game throws up opponents who were, are or will be world class. But there are other things that can only be pinned to individuals because failing to track a runner, losing concentration or being careless with the ball is unforgivable at levels far beneath the Premier League.

And even if the free-flowing, sparkling champagne football of seasons still fresh in the memory is beyond this side, blocking shots, going into every challenge with an at-all-costs mentality and running until running is no longer possible are all within the gift of whoever Gracia puts on the pitch. Players don't have to look far for examples. Liam Cooper and Max Wober embodied the level of desire called for in this game, on Saturday. Even after taking whacks in the second half, they did everything within their power to try and keep Fulham out and rescue the situation. Alas, they also don't have far to look to see examples of those who did not meet that standard. That just cannot be the case against Leicester.

So much water has passed under the bridge since Marcelo Bielsa left that this can no longer be considered a Bielsa side, but if there are any lingering traces of the aggression, intensity and bloody-minded refusal to lose until the final whistle was blown then now would be a good time to show them. As for the players who did not have the good fortune to play under the Argentine at Leeds, now is the time to show they should be considered for the future that lies ahead under whoever is next to try and move the club on.

Any need for external motivation would be a concern at this point. Pinning negative Tweets or critical media cuttings to the wall doesn’t seem Gracia’s style and besides, a serious defence to the charges being laid at the dressing room door can hardly be mounted on recent evidence. But the players who get the chance to take on Leicester should know they're not just playing for their own futures and reputations. They're not just playing for the pride and happiness of the supporters. Relegation often has a cost felt by those not earning tens of thousands per week, in the form of redundancies. Heaven forbid that should be the case, it’s the grimmest of possibilities at any club, but Gracia himself has said the club’s employees motivate him.

"In this moment we're working hard because there are many people in this club, workers, all the people that are around the club deserve to remain in the Premier League," said Gracia on Monday.

"Thinking that, I have to give everything to achieve the objective."

If that kind of thing matters to his players, and it should, then now is the time to prove it. There won't be many better chances to do so. There won't be many more chances full stop.