Leeds left outfoxed by Vardy as Gracia feels pressure from fans

THE Leeds United fans could not hide their frustration with Javi Gracia as their team dropped two points at Elland Road on Wednesday.

Football supporters chant about many things but the response after the Whites surrendered the initiative and the lead to Leicester City was unusual but entirely justified.

"Make a sub, make a sub, make a sub!"

In his early games in charge of Leeds, coach Gracia looked like a saviour; now supporters are starting to question if he is a false prophet.

His cautious approach was acceptable when it was bringing three points – few things in football are not – but when it goes wrong, it can grate badly.

It cost Leeds, Jamie Vardy coming off the bench to score the goal they had been daring Leicester to for most of the second half.

But what frustrated Leeds fans even more was Gracia passivity.

You might say it was a point, and it does keep Leeds above their visitors, but in a big week for them with a trip to Bournemouth on Sunday, they really could have done with three.

Gracia's continual cold-shouldering of Willy Gnonto is baffling, and will not win him many popularity contests on the terraces.

But his indifference to the Italian notwithstanding, it was his reluctance to do anything noteworthy to change the flow of a game which had ebbed away from his team which was infuriating.

They should have got away with it but for an astonishing miss by Patrick

ON TARGET: Leeds United’s Luis Sinisterra scores the opening goal but the Whites could not hold on to take a vital three points against Leicester City.

Bamford from a matter of yards out in the 90th minute.

It was not like the fans did not want to support their team, getting behind them every bit as much as the Spanish coach asked prematch, but eventually they could not hide their bemusement and frustration.

When Ilan Meslier made what looked like a vital double save – the second part, with his face, was actually irrelevant because Patson Daka was offside – they made a point of

cheering the under-fire goalkeeper, then singing his name.

The home players began as nervously as the occasion demanded and got a seventh-minute reprieve when Youri Tieleman's goal was chalked off by the video assistant referee.

Having snatched the lead with the only legitimate on-target shot of the first half, they sat back timidly.

The hosts started nervously and sloppily, albeit brimming with passion, particularly Rodrigo. They looked like being punished for it after

seven minutes when Tielemans produced a beautifully clean finish to bury Boubakary Soumare.

The roar when Tierney saw what ought to have been obvious all along to the linesman – that Soumare's first touch was from an offside position – was huge.

It did not immediately transfer to the pitch, Luke Ayling fortunate when an unwise volleyed pass across the halfway line bounced off James Maddison's shins and Liam Cooper having to be alert to sweep up the danger from Whites nemesis Harvey Barnes after Marc Roca surrendered possession.

A stretching Maddison tapped Kelechi Iheanacho's cross wide from yards out.

In the 20th minute Jack Harrison cut in off the right wing and measuring a lovely cross Luis Sinisterra climbed highest to at the far post.

It was a blow, therefore, that Sinisterra was caught in the followthrough of a Caglar Soyuncu tackle less than 10 minutes, and even more so when Gnonto was overlooked as the man to replace him.

Former Rotherham United goalkeeper Daniel Iversen recovered after leaving his area to head the ball clear but getting back to catch Ayling's long-range shot.

Leeds started the second half strongly, Rodrigo and Weston McKennie having shots blocked, then the former unable to control his header after climbing highest to a rightwing cross.

But they sank deeper and deeper, almost begging the Foxes to make a game of it. Barnes provided a heartin-mouth moment when he shot over, but too little else to trouble Meslier until his double save.

Where Gracia has a very expensive 20-year-old striker he does not trust in Georginio Rutter, Leicester had Vardy to call on.

He equalised in the 81st minute when Iheanacho picked out Maddison and as Robin Koch came over, the ball squirted to the veteran, who didwhathedoes.Leedshadalate flurry, Ayling's shot deflected for a corner, Roca's header from it saved and Bamford's miss defying belief.

A lot that happened was hard to explain.