Jack Harrison moved permanently to Leeds United last summer after three consecutive seasons on loan from Manchester City. After an excellent season in the Premier League in 2020/21, where the winger scored eight goals and assisted eight more, the Whites paid a fee of under £12million to sign Harrison to a three year contract at Elland Road.
However, he has struggled to be as effective in the Premier League in his second season in the competition, scoring only four goals and assisting one thus far. His hat-trick at the London Stadium was an obvious high point in the season but he has struggled to be as clinical in the final third this season, often looking uncertain of what he wants to do, taking too many touches and losing the ball or turning backwards.
Speaking about Harrison in his second pre-match press conference since becoming Leeds' new manager, Jesse Marsch referenced a desire to help the player who coached against in MLS to become 'decisive and clear' on the pitch.
Marsch's system requires a change in role for Harrison, who largely played as an out-and-out winger under Marcelo Bielsa and the American spoke about how he'd been impressed by Harrison's adaptation to the role as he detailed how the player could improve:
"Listen, he can run all day," Marsch said.
"He is explosive, he's effective in one v one situations, he's dangerous, he's smart.
"And so I'm asking him to play a little bit different role than what he had played here is like more of a wide winger, I want them a little bit more to be an interior player at times and to be aggressive more in transition moments.
"But again, he's intelligent and understands how to apply himself and then I just want to give him the confidence to go out on the pitch and apply the the ideas of our football and to achieve."
When Marsch was asked to expand on what that would look like, he replied:" I just think it's being more decisive and clear as to what the last actions can be."
"I think his application of that in the first game was very good and he was very dangerous in the first game, and he was unlucky not to come away with a goal or an assist. He'll get better and better."
Notably, Marsch spoke highly of many of Harrison's technical and physical attributes, explaining how he's well suited to the way the former RB Leipzig manager wants the 25-year-old to play. Meanwhile, fans often speak glowingly about the former Manchester City man's first touch, as well as that he is an excellent striker of the ball, whether he is shooting or crossing.
With all the attributes Harrison has, it is the decision making and the 'confidence' - as mentioned by Marsch - which Harrison needs to find in order to gain consistency in his performances. It's fair to say that playing in his position wide on the left under Bielsa this season, Harrison struggled without the option to cross the ball to Patrick Bamford. Last season, his decisions were made easy for him as Bamford was always there to hit in the box and he looked a player full of confidence.
Bamford is now fit to make a return to the team from the bench but Harrison's role won't be the same in the way that he supplied Leeds' number nine. As Marsch outlined above, he will now be expected to be direct in going towards the goal with the ball. These are different instructions to those he has had before but they are simple instructions. This will help in the Leeds manager's hope in making the 'decisive and clear' decisions.
If Marsch can bring that out of Harrison on a regular basis then he has the potential to be a very effective attacking weapon for the Whites as they seek to escape the danger of relegation. Leeds may well need one of their forwards to make the difference in their last 11 games and under Marsch's coaching, it could be Harrison.
