What will Jesse Marsch bring to Leeds United?

Time Stamp: March 2, 2022 11:30 AM

The last American to coach a Premier League team lasted just 85 days in the job. Indeed, Bob Bradley’s stint in charge of Swansea City in 2016 was a fleeting one with the former USA manager unfairly mocked for the footballing dialect as much as the dreadful results his team produced. Now, though, there is another American coach in the English top flight.

Jesse Marsch is Leeds United’s new manager after Marcelo Bielsa was relieved of his duties last weekend. The legendary Argentine coach earned his place in Elland Road folklore by taking the Yorkshire club back to the Premier League after a 16-year exile, but recent results forced a change.

Marsch arrives at Elland Road after being sacked by RB Leipzig earlier in the season. The American struggled to impose his ideas on a team still reeling from the departure of Julian Nagelsmann to Bayern Munich, but reports highlighted a disconnect between Marsch and his employers over the desire style of play.

At Red Bull Salzburg, Marsch built a team renowned for their dynamic, attacking play. He won a league and cup double in successive seasons and made a mark in continental competition – Salzburg were particularly impressive in a Champions League match away to Liverpool when they bought back from 3-0 down to 3-3. Liverpool ultimately won 4-3, but Marsch caught the eye as a coach.

Leeds clearly want Marsch to build on what Bielsa achieved at the club rather than tear it all down. The Whites certainly need to improve as a defensive unit having conceded 60 times in just 26 Premier League fixtures this season, but the club’s hierarchy hopes Marsch’s attacking style will still get fans off their seats.

“I have a lot to prove to our fanbase that I’m the right guy to follow such a hero like Marcelo Bielsa,” said. Marsch. “But I think the key is when they see the team play and they play with passion, heart and they show that they’re also intelligent and clear with the playing model and they’re aggressive, then the fans will tolerate the coach even if they don’t like his accent or if he’s not as popular as the previous coach.”

There is just 12 fixtures between now and the end of the season and so Marsch must hit the ground running. Leeds United may have ambitions of emulating the likes of Leicester City and Wolves in punching well above their weight in the top half of the Premier League table, but first they must merely preserve their place in the division.

Defensively, Marsch will shift Leeds away from the man-marking system they played under Bielsa to a zonal marking approach. If this strengthens the Elland Road outfit at the back, it will instantly improve their chances of avoiding relegation. The trouble is a zonal marking system usually takes time to implement and time isn’t something Marsch has a lot of right now. This presents a challenge.

Patrick Bamford and Kalvin Phillips are set to return from injury in the near future and this will further boost Leeds’ chances of a strong end to the season. Both players were key figures for Leeds United last season and have been missed. Had they stayed fit this entire predicament may have been avoided.

The appointment of Marsch should be good news for many players at Elland Road. Leeds United will still play with a lot of vertical movement and attacking intent, but are counting on their new American boss to give them a different dimension. Their future as a Premier League club depends on it.

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