JESSE MARSCH: WE DIDN’T GIVE OURSELVES THE CHANCE TO GET GOING - Leedsunited.com 12/5/22

Jesse Marsch gave his thoughts to the media after his side were defeated at home to third place Chelsea, in the Premier League.

The visitors took the lead early in the match and then had a man advantage as well following the dismissal of Dan James, before eventually running out comfortable winners.

Next up for Marsch’s side is their final home match of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, where the aim will once again be three points.

“It wasn’t easy, when we gave up the early goal,” the head coach explained. 

“The red card again makes it very difficult for us. We’re all gutted and disappointed, but our focus is totally right now on doing whatever we can to prepare ourselves for Sunday.

“It was similar to the Arsenal match where we didn’t give ourselves the chance to get going. The guys fought hard, they never stopped, they ran and tried to play, competed for each other, and obviously it’s disappointing.

“Right now we can’t feel sorry for ourselves, if we get stuck thinking negative things and worrying about why it happened and what happened, we don’t prepare ourselves for Sunday.

“That has to be the total focus right now, what Sunday will mean.”

The Whites have two games remaining in their season against Brighton and then Brentford on the final day, where they need points to move out of the relegation places.

Marsch said: “It’s a big challenge. It’s felt like that for months, and obviously our backs are against the wall right now.

“Sunday is massively important and that’s what we have to be thinking about.

“My last phrase to the team was that they work so hard, they are so committed and they do everything they can every day, but in the end we have to earn it. 

“So, we have two more matches to do that and we have to be focused entirely on that and do whatever it takes in those two games.”

Liam Cooper spoke to LUTV after returning to action at the heart of the defence on Wednesday night, following injury.

The captain began by giving his thoughts on the game, after his Leeds United side were beaten at home by Chelsea.

Discussing the early goal, Cooper said: “It was a counter attack, and a great finish, but it’s just difficult to take so early.

“I felt we started the game bright, and obviously the goal changed it but we were still in the game.

“The red card changes it a lot, we had to have a bit more of a negative approach to the game, pick and choose when we go to try and nick something on the counter attack.

“It’s difficult against top quality opposition, it really is, they kept the ball well. I thought we were resilient for long periods of the game but the quality of Chelsea came through.

“It’s tough to take, but you can either sit here and feel sorry for yourself or you can come out swinging and make a good go of it."

Attention now turns to the final home match of the season on Sunday, when Leeds face Brighton in a match that Cooper has described as massive. 

“We have to pick the lads up, we’ve got a massive game at home at the weekend,” the skipper told LUTV.

“We all need to pull together and make it one hell of an atmosphere here at the weekend, like the fans always do, and we have to produce on the pitch as well.

“It’s a massive game, let’s make a right good go of it. From our point of view, my message to the lads is that we can’t feel sorry for ourselves, we’re in a fight and we know that.

“We’ve got to go and be positive, approach the game and get a result in any way possible.

“It doesn’t have to be pretty, it doesn’t have to be nice, we have to go and do it the Leeds way and hopefully we can do that at the weekend.”