Leeds star explains how Marsch has transformed the club after Bielsa exit

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Leeds United defender Robin Koch has outlined the key differences between former manager Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch, with the German believing that the squad is now much stronger under the American coach.

Speaking to Sport Buzzer, the former Bundesliga star revealed that the squad overall has improved in quality whilst the defensive approach of Leeds has changed for the better under Marsch, with the closing stages of Bielsa’s tenure involving some shambolic performances at the back.

Huge losses to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City led to Bielsa being dismissed by Leeds, with Marsch being appointed to steer the ship around and to get the Whites out of the relegation zone, something the former RB Leipzig manager achieved on the final day of the season.

This summer has seen huge change at Leeds with the departure of key players Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips, yet the Yorkshire side recruited well, and according to Koch, the new-look squad is looking better than it ever has, even without Bielsa’s training methods whipping the players into peak physical condition.

Koch said: “We strengthened ourselves well in the summer, our squad is now broader, we have high quality. It was also important to have a complete preparation with Jesse Marsch. It was simply a matter of keeping us in the league. He used the summer to teach us his idea of the game.”

The defender added about Bielsa: “We defend more collectively under Marsch. That’s the main difference to Marcelo Bielsa. There, we defended more man-to-man.I was able to learn a lot under Marcelo and have developed a lot thanks to him. He is crazy about football and has incredible expertise. He demands a lot. The training is extremely intense.”

Koch is right to say Leeds have improved this summer under Marsch

Bielsa’s exit from Leeds took many by surprise when the announcement was made, but given the work Marsch has done to get the Whites back to their best and the work the former Red Bull coach has done over the summer, it’s hard to disagree with Koch’s comments on his two managers.

Indeed, whilst performances and results are yet to hit a consistent level, Leeds are a better-run unit and club since the arrival of Marsch, and whilst Bielsa will always be a legend at the club, the American coach is the right man to take the Whites to that next level in the Premier League.