Jesse Marsch points to error rather than tactics and blasts VAR after Spurs loss - YEP 12/11/22

Jesse Marsch bemoaned an individual error and a VAR decision after Leeds United let the lead slip three times to lose 4-3 at Tottenham Hotspur.

By Graham Smyth

For the first time in their history Leeds fell to defeat in a league game having led on three occasions. Crysencio Summerville’s opener stunned the hosts, who levelled in controversial circumstances midway through the first half. Illan Meslier was bundled into his net as he attempted to punch clear a corner before Harry Kane hooked the ball in to make it 1-1.

Rodrigo pounced on a loose ball in the Spurs area after Liam Cooper and Rasmus Kristensen had headed it on, and drilled in the second just before the break. Six minutes after the interval, however, Spurs were back in it, Ben Davies shooting home after Leeds were cut open on their left flank.

With 14 minutes remaining Rodrigo had his second and Leeds’ third, but despite Marsch going to a back five by throwing Luke Ayling into the fray, the visitors collapsed defensively and conceded a pair of Rodrigo Bentancur goals in the space of two minutes.

"I'd say we've encapsulated our 16-game season in one match,” said Marsch.

"Moments that were really good and really on top of things and in control. And then moments where we're vulnerable and make easy mistakes that at this level you can't make because you get punished. So obviously, I always try to look at the positives and I really like a lot of the things that that we're able to accomplish and certainly the men in the team. But it's just a lot of moments when we're in control of matches, we can't seem to stay on top of the match.”

The head coach felt Leeds were deserving of the 3-2 lead they took late in the game but, as has been the case in recent weeks, their habit of too easily giving up leads came back to haunt them.

“We've got to find a way to be more stable defensively and handle moments in matches,” he added.

Marsch’s decision to go to a back five immediately prior to Spurs’ third goal was questioned after the game but he felt it was an error, rather than a tactical issue, that cost the Whites so dearly.

“Well, we make a mistake almost right away, right? We know that they're going to push, we know that they're going to spread the backline out and put more numbers along the backline. So then we decide to go 5-4-1, which we've done a lot and we've been stable in those moments. But then a ball comes in the box and we head it down right to [Pierre-Emile] Højbjerg at the top of the box and we're not closing from the other side. For me that's not about tactics, that's about giving it to the opponent at the wrong moment. That was hard to swallow at that moment that we gave the game away.”

The American was also frustrated with the decision to allow Spurs’ first goal after what he felt was a foul on his goalkeeper.

"That's a foul,” he said. “The fourth official says to me ‘Yeah, I think it's a foul’ and I go ‘Okay, good. Then it's gonna go to VAR’ and then they don't even look at it. But again, I mean, what am I going to do, freak out like I did in Brentford? Then they're gonna throw me out and I'm gonna be the guy who's in the wrong, which is incredible. Right? What's in the wrong is that it's not [given as] a foul.”