Phil Hay believes that Jesse Marsch has already made one obvious difference at Leeds United.
It’s very obvious that Leeds’ Achilles heel this season has been conceding goals, they have the worst defence in the Premier League conceding 68 goals, but more specifically it has been their inability to defend from set-pieces having shipped 16 goals from dead-ball situations, the joint-most in the league alongside Leicester City.
Have you been impressed with Marsch?
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The month prior to when Leeds appointed Marsch, they had shipped 20 goals under Marcelo Bielsa, but under the American, they appear to have found a way at being more solid and resolute at the back conceding five in their last five games Marsch has been in charge for, including one clean sheet, which is just a small change, but a potentially significant one.
Hay believes that one of the biggest differences Marsch has made at Leeds is from set-pieces, as he spoke about on The Phil Hay Show.
(33:05) “I feel like it’s almost impossible to properly judge Marsch at the moment, there are things that have obviously changed I’ve written for next week a piece about the differences from set-pieces and corners in particular.
There’s a massive difference now between the way they set up for corners under Marsch in comparison to the way they did under Bielsa.”
TIF Thoughts on changes made by Marsch…
Since Marsch took over at Elland Road, Leeds have only conceded twice from set-pieces and both of the strikes have been sublime ones, Callum Chambers curled one into the top corner after Leeds failed to clear a free-kick and then James Ward-Prowse nestled a direct free-kick into the top corner leaving Illan Meslier with no chance.
It’s bound to be a big problem for any team, never mind one fighting against relegation, if a side can’t defend set-pieces as they can happen very often during games and only takes one player to have a lapse in concentration for the ball to end up in the back of the net.
In other news: ‘That’s been coming’ – Phil Hay now teases exciting early Leeds team news