The Athletic’s Leeds United writer Phil Hay has said that manager Jesse Marsch seems to be lacking the same verve and vigour that he brought with him to the club less than three months ago.
The American head coach was appointed by Leeds officials at the end of February after a 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur saw Marcelo Bielsa sacked as a fifth defeat in six games left Leeds just two points above the relegation zone.
Have you been impressed by Jesse Marsch so far with Leeds?
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After back-to-back losses at the start of his tenure, Marsch arrested the Yorkshire club’s slide and has taken 12 points from his 11 games in charge, but with a total of just three wins so far in the Elland Road dugout, Leeds have fallen into the relegation zone – and Hay believes that the 48-year-old’s initial exuberance is wearing away.
Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, he said: “My perception of Marsch is that he’s gone from a position in February where he was ultra-excited about it and delighted to be here and everything else, to the position now where he cannot be enjoying this – and he doesn’t look like he’s enjoying this.
“And what is there to enjoy about it? It’s fine saying to people, ‘I love coaching this, that and the other, it’s what I do, it’s what I live for’ and everything else. Nobody lives for coaching a team who get relegated and have this going on round about him.”
TIF Thoughts on Marsch and Leeds…
Marsch has said that he will stay at the club even if they are relegated to the Championship, but the recent implosion within his side – with Luke Ayling and Dan James sent off in successive matches – he has cut a frustrated figure of late.
He looked to have stolen a march on their relegation rivals with a five-game unbeaten run from March through April which garnered 11 points, but as a crunch stretch of matches against Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City arrived, both Burnley and Everton staged their own surges towards safety – with the Toffees securing survival in midweek.
With fans still clamouring for Bielsa, Marsch will have an opportunity to win them over if he manages to keep the Whites up by picking up more points than Burnley on the final day.
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