Journalist Pete O’Rourke believes Leeds United may assess the situation with their medical staff or could even change the way they train following the arrival of Jesse Marsch.
Marsch was brought in to replace Marcelo Bielsa at the end of February and has helped his side grab some breathing space after the Whites recorded wins in their last two Premier League outings prior to the international break.
Will Leeds stay up?
Yes
No
For all of Bielsa’s game-changing methods, his intense training sessions and demands during matches may have contributed to Leeds’ long injury list, with the likes of Robin Koch and Patrick Bamford amongst those to be absent for significant parts of the campaign.
While it is too early to judge Marsch in-depth, O’Rourke believes the American could oversee a change in the way the first-team squad prepares for matches.
He told GiveMeSport: “Under the new regime, I don’t know whether they’ll be looking at the medical staff or changing training tactics, but they can’t afford to be having too many more injuries.”
TIF Thoughts on the potential impact on training…
What Bielsa achieved during his time at Elland Road must not be underestimated. The Yorkshire outfit did not look anywhere close to securing a return to the promised land before the Argentine’s arrival, but he turned the club from Championship also-rans into a top-half Premier League side after 16 years in the wilderness.
However, there must be a reason why the 66-year-old has never lasted more than four years in any managerial position at club level. While many players buy into his way of thinking, it can have a damaging impact on their ability to perform. At the start of February, a LeedsLive report revealed Whites players had missed a collective 90 matches through injury throughout the campaign – an average of four per player.
In a way, Bielsa has perhaps done the hard work for his successor. Marsch does now not need to worry too much about his squad’s fitness and commitment levels, and can instead concentrate on restoring the confidence and self-belief that appeared to be missing towards the end of Bielsa’s reign. Hopefully, he will not have to deal with a brimming treatment room any time soon.