JAVI GRACIA has compared Leeds' players to "a boxer unable to get up" after he was sacked by the club on his 53rd birthday.
The Spaniard was axed by the Premier League side after just 12 matches and 71 days at the helm.
He departs with a record of three wins, two draws and seven defeats, with Sam Allardyce immediately replacing him for the final four games of the season.
And he has now revealed he was told of his dismissal by owner Andrea Radrizzani on Monday – his birthday.
Speaking to The Athletic about learning the news, he said: "It was my birthday, May 1. It was a phone call."
After a five-game winless run, Leeds sit above the relegation zone on goal difference.
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They face a tough run-in with games against Manchester City, Newcastle, West Ham and Tottenham.
And Gracia has given an honest assessment of the state of the squad as they attempt to avoid the drop following his exit.
He said: "The dynamic had felt really positive and, even recently, we did start some of these games in a very positive and concentrated manner.
"But maybe we did not have that bit of fortune for a ball to drop our way or a decision to go our way.
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"In the last game against Bournemouth, we had a call where it looked like a penalty but was right on the edge of the area. I felt we had started the game well and then we conceded two goals quickly.
"I had the feeling that the players felt a little like a boxer who had been hit, who is down for a few moments and wants to get up but is not able to.
"It transmitted something negative that did not correspond with what I believe my players really are.
"There is a psychological aspect. A player can enter subconsciously into a vicious circle from which they cannot escape. And we did not have that moment go our way with the fine margins.
"In the last minute against Leicester, Patrick had a chance just wide and Marc Roca came close to scoring a winner."
Despite being dismissed by Leeds, Gracia insists he will still be supporting the club's bid to stay in the Premier League.
And he even confirmed he will watch their trip to the Etihad on Saturday.
He added: "I will be with my children, who will have their Leeds jerseys on and chanting ‘Up the Whites’."
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