Yesterday, Jesse Marsch held his first press conference since replacing Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds, and he shared some interesting comments.
One moment saw the American reveal when Victor Orta called him about replacing the Argentine, and the Elland Road faithful will surely love his response.
What’s the story?
Well, Marsch revealed that Orta called him “eight days ago” – seeing as the conference was yesterday, that means the chat took place on February 23rd.
That was the day Liverpool hammered Leeds 6-0 at Anfield, so it’s clear that Orta made his mind up on Bielsa after that heavy defeat.
As quoted by the Guardian, Marsch said: “I wanted to see Marcelo continue his legacy and keep the team up and I wanted to make that argument with Victor when he called me eight days ago. I wanted Marcelo to finish on a high note but I could see the group suffering.”
It says a lot about the 48-year-old that he wanted Bielsa to stay and crown his fine work by securing a third successive season in the Premier League.
That was what nearly every Leeds fan wanted to see, and it really hit the Elland Road faithful hard to see the 66-year-old sacked in this manner.
After all he did for Leeds, Bielsa – at the very least – deserved a warm sendoff at Elland Road.
Unfortunately, those on the Board at Leeds hit the panic button, and only time will tell if their decision pays off.
Jesse Marsch has made a good first impression at Leeds
In our view, Marsch has made a very good first impression in Yorkshire
It must’ve been very difficult for the American to replace Bielsa, especially as supporters were still coming to terms with the heartbreaking decision.
In many ways, it may feel like having a new stepdad for some fans.
Nevertheless, Marsch has acknowledged Bielsa’s fine work and how much he means to the fanbase, which is a good start – there’s no point glossing over the obvious.
For him to level with them and say that he also thinks Bielsa should’ve stayed will put Marsch on the same page as fans, which should make them more likely to back him.
Without a doubt, he has handled the difficult process admirably – now, he must try to get Leeds back to winning ways.
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