Jesse Marsch must refocus Leeds United minds onto Fulham after a mental battering at Leicester City - Yorkshire Post 21/10/22

The unforgiving nature of the Premier League was rammed home once again to Jesse Marsch on Thursday.

By Stuart Rayner

Marsch's trip to Leicester City, where he began his adventure as Leeds United coach, was bruising to put it mildly but the board have decided it will not be where it ends.

The American therefore has to dust himself down, clear his mind and prepare his players for a game at home to Fulham on Sunday which will be even more crucial to him than the club.

On Thursday night, Marsch got battered from all directions. Most damagingly from the away end, where fans questioned what he was doing and, as his players came over to thank them at full-time without him, where he was. The most pointed chant was simply "Marcelo Bielsa".

Leeds lost 2-0 to a side who only had one shot on target all night. Robin Koch's own goal summed up a capacity for shooting themselves in the foot but their shooting at Danny Ward's goal was just as bad.

They had 13 efforts, but when ex-Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Ward comfortably saved a routine one from Mateusz Klich in stoppage time, the away fans sang "Du du du du... shot on target!"

It was only their second. And last.

Next came television, radio, then newspaper interviews inevitably centred on Marsch's job prospects. As he spoke, Aston Villa sacked Steven Gerrard. Villa are level on points with Leeds.

To kick a man when he was down, the post-match press conference ended and a pre-match one started.

The idea was to save Marsch having to speak to the media again on Friday by previewing Fulham's visit before heading home.

That his mind had already turned to the Cottagers had been Marsch's weak excuse for not acknowledging the fans but still he reflected – as always, with a smile – "This is a brutal task."

For Premier League clubs not in Europe, three-match weeks are rare, making them tougher when momentum swings the wrong way. Marsch's task is getting his players’ minds solely on winning on Sunday.

"It's about shaping them to be ready and understanding we have to stop the bleeding," said Marsch, regurgitating his buzz phrase of the evening. "What can I say to them after this match? Everyone's crushed.

"I have to keep them strong and believing in what we're doing.

"I'm trying to analyse everything without over-analysing. That's the key or you get stuck in a circle.

"We have to first see physically where guys are at and make sure we've got a team on the pitch ready to play at the highest level; we've got to evaluate tactically what we want out of the game. Then we've got to put a group on the pitch that's going to invest everything they can to get a really important result."

The pressure is nothing new. Marsch, sacked by Leipzig shortly before last Christmas, has managed in the Champions League, so is well used to quick turnarounds – "That part's okay." He dragged Leeds out of the relegation mire once already this year, taking charge of a sinking ship after Bielsa's February firing.

"We need to use the pressure to motivate us and be clear," he said. "The clarity of what exactly the game will need will be the most important thing. I know they'll be ready to run and fight, it's just making sure they do it in a way that helps us win."

Is this the toughest moment of his managerial career he was asked, as under-pressure coaches routinely are in these situations?

"For me? Yeah, probably pretty tough," replied Marsch, who hopes to have Pascal Struijk back from injury. "But I knew coming to Leeds United would be difficult. Building it up to be a team in the Prem that we thought could be successful was never going to be easy."

He conceded the negativity on the terraces can affect players, without grumbling about it.

"If it's fair or not it doesn't really matter,” he insisted. “They can express their opinion however they want. I would hope they've seen a lot of work done. We worked really hard as a club, as a group, as a team to save our season last time and we're going to do the same again."

The easiest route would start with a nice, early goal on Sunday so the Elland Road songs are more celebratory than scathing.

"A confident start, and we need a goal in general," is what he is looking for. "We need goals (after one in the last four matches). The lead would be massively important for us.

"I love Elland Road, I love our fans and we need them right now. We need to be unified. They helped us last season in tough moments.

"They (Fulham) are a good footballing team who spread the field very well, a good passing team. (Aleksandar) Mitrovic is a very dangerous player, one of the most clever players in the league, and we'll have to manage him the right way.

"They've had a really good start to the season so it won't be easy."

Life in the Premier League rarely is. There is a reason why people like Marsch get paid such big bucks.