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Steven Gerrard asked if Jesse Marsch can be a success at Leeds
Steven Gerrard that it is unfair to question whether Jesse Marsch will be a success at Leeds United due to the fact that American bosses are yet to really prove themselves in the Premier League.
Marsch’s appointment has prompted a lot of debate amongst football fans. Of course, it is significant because he has followed one of the club’s most iconic figures in Marcelo Bielsa.
But there has also been a lot said about his nationality. Marsch became the third American manager to work with a Premier League side, following Bob Bradley and David Wagner.
Wagner led Huddersfield to promotion and then kept them up initially. However, Bradley was dismissed after a very short spell with Swansea City.
Nevertheless, there have been a lot of things said about Leeds appointing Marsch. And some of the quirks in his management style have seemingly been put down by some to the fact that he is American.
Leeds face Aston Villa in Marsch’s first home game in charge on Thursday. So Gerrard was asked about whether he thought that the 48-year-old will be a success given that American managers have, so far, struggled.
“I hope he’s not successful on Thursday night, that’s for sure,” .
“But you wish him well, you welcome him as a fellow professional in terms of the job. Every job in the Premier League’s very difficult. But we can’t judge Jesse as an American guy maybe because previous Americans haven’t done so well. I think you’ve got to give him a fresh start and give him a chance to implement his ways and his ideas.”
Like Bielsa, Marsch will have to work harder at Leeds than many to silence some doubters
Leeds fans often felt that Bielsa was forced to play by a different set of rules to many managers when it came to how some of the media reacted to him.
His press conferences not being in English was a criticism thrown at him on a regular basis. Whenever Leeds were struggling, his inability to speak the language – whether that was the case – was used against him.
Rarely did he receive any credit for his long, incredibly detailed insights that would not have been possible had Bielsa not been speaking in his first language.
And it seems Marsch is now being forced to work harder to silence his critics. The name ‘Ted Lasso’ has featured in hundreds of articles in the past couple of weeks. Marsch himself, felt compelled to confront the potential comparison.
He is someone who has won league titles and managed in the Champions League.
But he will know that his nationality will be used against him if he fails to keep Leeds up.
His appointment therefore, has the potential to be a key moment for American coaches.
Clearly, the fact that Gerrard was asked whether he may find it difficult because other Americans – two, remember – have shows that there is still a long way to go before perceptions change.