Leeds United leapfrogged relegation rivals Nottingham Forest in the Premier League after Tuesday night’s 2-1 win at Elland Road.
After Orel Mangala’s shock opening goal for the visitors, Jack Harrison and Luis Sinisterra scored for the Whites as they moved up to 13th with a third win in six games under new boss Javi Gracia.
Forest, meanwhile, have fallen to 17th after an eighth winless game, putting their manager Steve Cooper under enormous pressure.
Here, Sportsmail’s DAVID COVERDALE discusses the three big talking points of Tuesday’s basement battle.
Leeds United have jumped out of the relegation zone after a huge win at Elland Road
Goals from Jack Harrison (pictured) and Luis Sinisterra catapulted them to 13th in the table
The Forest players begin the inquest after Luis Sinisterra scored the second goal for Leeds
STEVE COOPER’S DAYS LOOK NUMBERED
Steve Cooper showed more struggle in his post-match press conference than his players did in 90 minutes at Elland Road.
The forest manager under fire was forced to answer several questions about his future, answering each one with dignity and defiance.
Was he afraid of the bag? “I respect the question, but any concern, frustration or disappointment I feel right now is that Forest lost a game where they could have done so much better,” he replied.
Why was he waving to fans at the end? “I am always grateful for the support. The more support I get, the more determined I become and the more paranoid I become about not letting them down,” he said.
Was he still the right man for the job? “I really believe in myself and my work and the level at which I can work,” he admitted.
However, Cooper offered no such defense for his players’ performances at Leeds. “We have not shown enough courage and courage,” he confessed. “We felt very short. We only owe that to ourselves.’
The big question now is whether forest owner Evangelos Marinakis blames his boss.
Cooper may well have said goodbye to the Forest fans after their defeat at Leeds
It now remains to be seen whether owner Evangelos Marinakis decides to fire Cooper
While all of Forest’s relegation rivals – with the exception of West Ham – have made a change to the dugout this season, Marinakis has kept faith in Cooper so far, even handing him a new contract last October.
But the Greek’s patience is running out and he won’t sleepwalk his club to the Championship after spending £160m on 30 new players.
Marinakis was said to have been upset with Cooper’s tactics and substitutions during last weekend’s draw with Wolves, so you can only imagine what he thought of Tuesday night’s toothless performance.
Forest’s last win was actually against Leeds in early February, with the losing side giving their manager the bullet the following day.
Now history could repeat itself, with Cooper on the verge of becoming the 13th Premier League boss to be sacked this season.
JAVI GRACIA HAS BEEN A REVELATION ON ELLAND ROAD
When Leeds went looking for Jesse Marsch’s replacement, Javi Gracia wasn’t even in first place.
Rayo Vallecano boss Andoni Iraola and Feyenoord manager Arne Slot were the club’s main targets. Failing to be plucked away from their current clubs, Leeds decided to give caretaker coach Michael Skubala a chance.
But the results dictated that a more experienced hand was needed and an SOS was sent to the unemployed Gracia. It has so far proved to be an inspired appointment.
The Spaniard has taken 10 points from his first six games – as many as Marsch managed to collect in the last 14 games of his reign.
Javi Gracia was far from Leeds’ first choice to replace Jesse Marsch, but he performed well
Leeds won the game thanks to a brilliant goal from Luis Sinisterra just before half-time
Gracia was typically humble about his own impact when it was presented to him Tuesday night. “I’m just doing my job,” he said. “The protagonists are the players.”
Unlike his predecessor, Gracia is a man of few words at press conferences and prefers to let the results speak.
Elland Road can be a madhouse, but the 52-year-old is cool and calm. It’s qualities he was able to transfer to his team, which is why they were able to react as well as they would to a goal against Forest, instead of panicking as they once would have.
Despite being far from their first choice, Gracia seems to be the right man at the right time for Leeds and he gets them to safety.
JACK HARRISON GETS BACK TO HIS BEST
Jack Harrison will forever be remembered for scoring the last-minute winner at Brentford to secure Leeds’ Premier League status on the final day of last season. Well, the winger proves to be the savior of the Whites again this season.
He started this campaign in good form, with some even touting him for an England call-up for Qatar. But his performance took a nosedive when the Premier League returned after the World Cup.
Harrison almost left Leeds in the January transfer window as Leicester made a deadline.
Jack Harrison was again influential as Leeds took three valuable points at Elland Road
Jesse Marsch fought to retain the winger, but he was a shadow of his former self in the final days of the American’s reign and fans expressed their frustrations.
However, since the arrival of Javi Gracia at Elland Road, Harrison has been a transformed player. His energy is back and so are his assists and goals.
In fact, Harrison was directly involved in five of the ten goals scored under Gracia, with three goals and two assists.
The good news for Gracia is that his other winger, Luis Sinisterra, is now also fit and able to shoot. The Colombian’s sweeping winner was a timely reminder of his talent in a season hampered by injuries.
With Willy Gnonto returning to the bench on Tuesday night and strikers Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo now both fit, Gracia is suddenly blessed with a range of attacking options.