Leeds United fans sing for Marcelo Bielsa and not Jesse Marsch in Aston Villa loss - Yorkshire Post 10/3/22

SINCE arriving at Leeds United, Jesse Marsch has gone out of his way to please everyone and proved a willing talker.

By Leon Wobschall

For all the bonhomie and chatter, the only thing that matters in the cold light of day is deeds from him and his team and not words. The hard currency of points - however they arrive - is all that matters and not huddles and the equivalent of hot air with the best will in the world.

That's what this time of year does to football supporters when the daffodils come out and the league table can look cold and disturbing.

It certainly does at Leeds following their latest wretched offering; another brutal punch in a season of bodyblows after a 3-0 loss to Villa.

A head coach’s name was sung - namely that of Marcelo Bielsa shortly after Aston Villa killed the game with a third goal through Calum Chambers in the final quarter as Leeds went to pieces.

Fans' ire was aimed at the directors' box and there is significant concern and anger, exacerbated by a sixth defeat on the trot for Leeds for the first time in almost seven years.

That will turn to serious restlessness and toxicity just three games into the Marsch plan if the Whites don't beat Norwich City on Sunday. Defeat is simply unthinkable.

United have had their fair share of crunch games already this season. But they seem relatively tame and a dress rehearsal in comparison to Sunday.

The talk had been of Marsch fixing problem areas and stiffening Leeds up. Defensively, Leicester was a step in the right direction, but here Leeds were atrocious, with the first and second goals courtesy of appalling defending that showed why they are where they are. In serious trouble near the bottom.

The second, rammed home by Matty Cash following Danny Ings' cross came after a poor error from the hapless Junior Firpo. Marsch looked to the ground disconsolately.

It was a night which ended with Firpo being stretchered off with injury. It was that sort of evening.

Going forward, there were also significant issues where Leeds looked toothless. Even accounting for the return to the fray of Patrick Bamford, who came on from the bench to make his first appearance in just over three months. There was no fairytale and hundredth career goal.

Leeds trailed 1-0 at the break - and it could have been worse - with the unease of the home crowd clear and understandable.

On his Elland Road bow, Marsch was handed a big test of his mettle in the process in his quest to address things fast in his second half-time teamtalk.

Plenty of attention beforehand had centred on Leeds coping with Philippe Coutinho, a world-class talent operating for the Midlands club and a player capable of causing serious damage if he was not policed.

Reprehensibly, he was left unguarded for Villa’s opener.

It started when Stuart Dallas made a bad decision down the left after clever play by Ings and Lucas Digne.

Digne’s cross missed Ollie Watkins by a whisker in front of goal with major panic ensuing as Cash cut the ball back into the area.

Dallas’s error was significantly compounded. Leeds ball-watched and left Coutinho, of all players, free.

His low shot took a fortunate deflection off Pascal Struijk and to beat Illan Meslier and while that was unfortunate, Leeds cut their own throats.

Leeds’s start was actually okay with Tyrone Mings - given merciless stick from home fans - looking edgy. It was a false illusion. Villa settled and took over and the unease was palpably evident among Whites followers who had little to feed off.

A mistake in possession from Meslier almost gifted a second for Watkins with the United keeper palming away a curling free-kick from Douglas Luiz.

A loose pass from Rodrigo then summed up his casual sub-standard half. John McGinn’s strike arrowed towards the far post, but Meslier saved the day in the last action of the half which ended in boos from Leeds supporters.

A non-plussed Marsch entered into conversation with Joe Gelhardt ahead of the break - as Rodrigo paid the price - and he emerged for the second half, while the onus was on Leeds to respond and Marsch to liven up his players with his interval talk.

The early signs were promising. James almost got on the end of Raphinha’s cross and Mings - who looked susceptible- picked up a booking and the home crowd bought in as Leeds became more urgent and threatening.

Villa weathered the mini-storm and Marsch’s next card was to call Bamford.

The visitors waited for the break, with McGinn shooting at Meslier. The harvest then came as Leeds imploded.

First, Cash rammed the ball home before a third arrived when a free-kick was not cleared and Mings set up Calum Chambers to curl home a beauty and seal an ugly night for Leeds.