Former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch is the head coach of the Canada national team.placeholder image
Former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch is the head coach of the Canada national team. | Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch has revealed what it was like to manage the Premier League club during his year in charge.
Jesse Marsch’s short reign in the Elland Road dugout had a few highs but ultimately ended after a year due to poor results in his second season in charge.
The American coach signed a three-year deal in February 2022 and had big shoes to fill after Marcelo Bielsa’s departure. But Marsch did manage to help the Whites drag themselves out of the relegation zone on the final day of the season to finish 17th.
In the first half of the 2022/23 season, Leeds struggled and only picked up 15 points in 20 games, which saw the club in danger of relegation back to the Championship, and they sacked Marsch after less than a year in charge.
However, despite his short spell in Yorkshire, the now Canada international team head coach spoke highly of the club and its fanbase when asked to rank his five most hostile stadiums.
Jesse Marsch at Elland Road during his year with Leeds United.placeholder image
Jesse Marsch at Elland Road during his year with Leeds United. | Getty Images
Marsch, speaking to Canadian outlet TSN on YouTube, said: “Number five, I was the coach at Leeds United. Elland Road, Elland Road is an incredible place to play and [the fans] make it very, very difficult [for opposing teams].”
The former RB Leipzig boss won his first match in charge of Leeds on his third attempt and that came in front of the home fans at Elland Road. Yet, some of his most significant victories came away from home.
The match that secured the club’s place in the top-flight in the 2021/22 season was away to Brentford, where Leeds dramatically stayed up on the final day - becoming the first side since 2011 to retain their Premier League status despite starting the day in the relegation zone.
And even though the next season was not full of highlights for either the club or Marsch, they did secure a historic 2-1 victory at Anfield for the first time since 2001 and breaking Liverpool’s unbeaten run at home that stood for two seasons.
Then, after Marsch’s sacking, the club could not perform the same miracle the American had managed the year before, and they dropped down to the second tier once again.
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