Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch walked away from the Southampton job because the Premier League strugglers ‘did not know what they want’, former USA international-turned-pundit Jimmy Conrad explains.
As one reporter pointed out earlier in the week, Marsch is straying dangerously close to ‘strike three’ territory. He lasted only four months at RB Leipzig before things went sour at Elland Road too. Should Marsch fail in his next job, the Wisconsin-born 49-year-old may not get another one this side of the Atlantic.
Perhaps that is why Marsch got cold feet about potentially taking over at either Southampton or Leicester City; two clubs staring down the barrel of relegation with only a fraction of the season remaining.
The last thing Marsch needs, right now, is a relegation on his CV.
Jesse Marsch could have taken Southampton or Leicester City job
“The fact that he has said ‘no’ to a couple of Premier League teams is interesting. Southampton was first, now Leicester City,” Conrad tells the In Soccer We Trust podcast, having spoken recently to the one-time MLS Coach of the Year.
“I had some text conversations with him about Southampton. Some of the insight he gave me about Southampton was that they just don’t know what they want. They don’t know where they want to go.
“Maybe they just wanted him for the rest of the season.
“I am sure Jesse could see that was happening and he was like; ‘You know what, I’m gonna pass’. But it’s pretty cool that he’s been part of these conversations and even cooler that he’s saying; ‘Nah, screw you guys, I can see what you are trying to do’!”
Marsch, according to The Athletic, was not Leicester’s top choice to replace Brendan Rodgers at the King Power Stadium.
Even if the American did take over in the Midlands, he would likely have only signed a short-term deal until the summer with Leicester expected to make a renewed attempt to bring in Graham Potter following his post-Chelsea sabbatical.
Dean Smith eventually took over at the Foxes on Monday. The former Aston Villa boss will remain in place until the end of May.
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