Jesse Marsch shares what he went and told Leeds’ board about Marcelo Bielsa before they sacked him

Fri 4 March 2022 6:45, UK

New Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch has revealed that he wanted Marcelo Bielsa to stay at the club until the end of the season.

The Whites returned to the Premier League last campaign thanks to the Argentine. They made life really difficult for a number of teams and ended up finishing ninth in the table, which was an extraordinary achievement.

Everyone expected Leeds to kick on this season but injuries really affected Bielsa’s side. Patrick Bamford and Kalvin Phillips, arguably their two best players, have missed a lot of games and that has hurt the Whites.

After their 4-0 defeat to Tottenham last weekend, things had to change and Bielsa was shown the door. However, if Marsch’s words are anything to go by, he wanted the Argentine to remain in charge until the end of this campaign and he even told Victor Orta and the board the same when they first called him.

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Jesse Marsch: I wanted Marcelo Bielsa to stay at Leeds

The new Leeds boss faced the media for the first time since his appointment yesterday and unsurprisingly, he was asked about his predecessor.

Asked if he had told Director of Football Orta to stick with Bielsa, Marsch said, as per : “That’s the way I felt. I was not ready two weeks ago to say I was definitely the next coach. Was not sure.

“I didn’t want to see Marcelo (Bielsa) go out like this. I wanted to see him continue his legacy and keep the team up.

“I wanted to make that argument with Victor (Orta) when he called me. But, I could see the team was suffering.”

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Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images — Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images

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It really was sad to see things end for Bielsa at Leeds the way it did. The Argentine did so much for the club over the last three years and he will forever remain a hero to Leeds fans.

After a run of really poor results, the board had to make a decision and they decided to part ways.

Marsch is the chosen one now and his job is not easy at all. A defeat on Saturday against Leicester could see Leeds drop down to the bottom three and once you’re there, it’s extremely difficult to get out.

It will be interesting to see how the Whites will fare under Marsch, especially after their star players are back fit.