Jesse Marsch is committed to his new role as Leeds United manager ‘no matter what’ after Andrea Radrizzani discussed the threat of relegation during talks to replace Marcelo Bielsa.
The Whites appointed Marsch as their new head coach on Monday on contract running to 2025. He replaces Bielsa at Elland Road after Radrizzani fired the Argentine on Sunday after three-years at the helm, in which he sealed the club’s long-awaited Premier League return.
But Radrizzani felt he had to make a change to ensure the West Yorkshire outfit stay in the top-flight. Leeds struggled for consistent results this season whilst Bielsa juggled an injury crisis. He was often without key stars like Patrick Bamford, Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper.
Marsch has already landed an injury boost as Leeds manager with Bamford taking an active role in training on Thursday. The forward has only featured for 22-minutes in the top-flight since September, leaving Bielsa without his first-choice striker who hit 17 goals last season.
Scoring goals was problematic for Leeds under Bielsa with just 29 in 26 games as a team this term. But keeping them out at the other end was a far greater issue, as no side let in more than the 60 they shipped – including a Premier League record 20 in February alone.
Marsch committed to new Leeds job ‘no matter what’ amid relegation threat
A torrid February means Marsch replaces Bielsa with Leeds 16th in the Premier League and two-points from the relegation zone. They have also played two games more than Everton in 17th-place and once more than 18th-place Burnley. United visit Leicester on Saturday.
Leeds owner Radrizzani discussed the threat of relegation with Marsch before the American replaced Bielsa at Elland Road. But the project on offer in West Yorkshire convinced the 48-year-old to accept the offer of a return to a dugout after RB Leipzig fired him in December.
“Andrea asked me would I come at the end of the season if they were in the Premier League or in the Championship and I said if I felt the project was right then it didn’t matter,” he said, via Yorkshire Evening Post. “So, when they came eight-days ago, it was time to show that.
“I didn’t want to see Marcelo go out like this, but I could see the group was suffering. So, I had to wrap my mind around doing it now, and [my] focus is not in the Championship but in finding ways to stay in the Premier League.”
Marsch added, via Leeds Live: “In the end, I am committed to being here no matter what the situation.”
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