Jesse Marsch on 'terrible' Leeds United feeling but confident message despite Southampton regret - YEP 13/8/22
Whites boss Jesse Marsch said there was no doubt that Leeds United were improving despite being left with a “terrible” feeling after Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Southampton.
By Lee Sobot
Leeds were 2-0 up by the hour mark as Rodrigo completed a
brace but Ralph Hasenhuttl’s hosts rallied to pull a goal back through Joe
Aribo in the 72nd minute before equalising through Kyle Walker-Peters with nine
minutes left.
The Saints comeback denied a United return of six points
from a possible six after last weekend’s 2-1 win at home to Wolves and Marsch
delivered a balanced assessment of events at St Mary’s and his side as a whole
after two games of the new campaign.
"Obviously we're disappointed," said Marsch.
"It's a terrible feeling to play so well and then have
the game switch and then walk away with what feels less than one point.
"But that's also I think, progress for us to be so
disappointed with only a point and we also have to see through the trees a
little bit and understand that the performance was quite good from an
individual perspective and from the collective so we're looking clear in every
phase of the game for me and then on set pieces I think we're very stable and
also finding ways to be dangerous.
"For me, it's always in my mind how to be glass half
full, even in a moment like this.
"But the group is making progress. There's no question
and it's great to see so many individuals playing at a high level."
Pushed on what he felt went wrong and if he wished he had
made more changes, Marsch reasoned: "At 2-1 we switched to five at the
back to try and cut down their ability to attack us in what we call the half
lane.
"And then we got beat in that, Jack gets beat on the
half lane so it's a little frustrating.
"Jack's done a really good job and has had two
fantastic games for me to start the season.
"But to tactically make that shift and then to still
get beat, that's painful, that's a little painful.
"That's the point of making tactical shifts in a match
and then there's a little bit of maturity.
"We're still a young team.
"That was one of the reasons why I put Adam on at the
end was just to help have a guy on the pitch with a little bit more experience
that can help settle the game down and I think he did a really good job at
that.
"And of course, there's a couple of changes that I'm
looking back on and thinking could we make those a little bit earlier and could
we manipulate the game in a way with some guys off the bench.