Leeeds United head coach Jesse Marsch faced the media on Tuesday morning ahead of Wednesday night's huge clash against Chelsea at Elland Road. Here is the full transcript, with the Whites boss kicking off with an injury update...
Injury latest
I’ll start with the injury situation. So Liam Cooper last time I said he was going to be ready to play and he trained the day before we had the press conference and we thought he was going to be available. Then he had a small little reaction leading up to the match and we all just felt it was prudent that he not pushed himself with the possibility that we could lose him for the remaining days. I believe that he trained a bit yesterday and I believe that after that and now going into this next phase that he’s better and has less pain. I believe he’ll be available for tomorrow.
We still have to go day by day with that. Patrick Bamford is on the pitch doing individual work, hopefully in team training by the end of the week and doing fairly well. Another one that’s day to day but we’re all monitoring his progress and it’s about on track. We’ll see what that’s like moving forwards but he won’t be available for tomorrow. The rest is all the same.
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Not been in bottom three since October. How are you keeping them positive?
Yeah, that’s definitely my way of leading is being positive. We had a talk yesterday, what’s involved in the moment. In the moment if you just looked at the nine games since I’ve been here, I think there’s been a lot of good performances. We’ve picked up points in a lot of matches, I think we’ve responded in many ways in what I’m trying to do with the group. We’ve stuck together, it hasn’t been easy but I said if this was the ninth game of the season and we went to Arsenal and went a man down and dug a big hole for ourselves, but second half we played like that and almost were able to tie the match up, we would’ve taken it away as a big positive.
But the situation that we’re in means there’s stress and so we’re trying to manage that. We have to accept the fact that we’re in this situation and we have to know that we have to stay strong. We have to know that we play with no regrets and make sure that we go after and push now to do everything we can, which the guys have already done. Now on game day we have to be a combination of pragmatic, clever and do whatever it takes to tactically be sharp and clear. To defend our goal and find ways to be dangerous.
Broken record for most yellow cards. How important is discipline going to be?
The yellow card thing, you might say that because of Luke Ayling’s situation as well. Let me address Luke’s situation. For me, Luke as much as people want to draw stories of whatever they want about what the last years have been like here at Leeds United, I think the Luke Ayling story is as much a definition of what this club has become as anything. Guys like him, Kalvin, Liam, Stuart, who came from the Championship, who learned so much under Marcelo Bielsa and grew and help this club become a Premier League team again.
For me Luke is the definition of heart, fight, hard work, mentality, dedication in every way. He defines what we want this club to be about. In one situation he jeopardises all of that he’s invested for himself and the team and so for me in the moment, of course I think about it hurts us as a team but honestly I think more about Luke as a person and how he has to deal with this moment. He knows he’s let the team down and he’s not going to be available for these last matches. He’s still going to be massively important in terms of making sure our group is strong and together. We are with him and I said after the match it’s not the time for finger pointing and blaming. It’s the time for sticking together and believing in who we are and what we are. And so that’s the way I’ve dealt with it. I’ve supported Luke internally and I will externally as well. He’s a massive part of everything we do here and I hope our fans understand that as well.
Do you think five unbeaten run before Man City and Arsenal has been forgotten about?
Internally I think we know that we still have a good group and that we can manage these situations and even against a team like Chelsea, we believe we can get a result at home. We knew coming into these three matches – City, Arsenal and Chelsea – that it was going to be very, very difficult to pick up points. It’s proved to be that, just like we knew it was. We still have so much to play for and so our focus is on controlling every moment and being prepared for every moment. Credit to Burnley and Everton, credit to them, in a difficult moment they’ve also fought for their lives and done whatever is possible to claw themselves back into this situation, we’ll do the same.”
Erling Haaland to City – from what you’ve seen, is he going to fit into PL?
Yeah. Erling Haaland is destined to be one of the best players in the world. It’s his quality but also his talent. I wish he was coming back home here to Leeds, this is his hometown and birth place but I understand the decision for him to go to Manchester City. It’ll be interesting, he’s an explosive player in transition and Man City often play a lot in possession. He can play any style of play but I certainly believe it makes Man City – one of, if not the best team in the world – even better. Credit to them for getting that done and I always wish the best for Erling, he’s an incredible human being.
Jamie Shackleton – natural fit in at right-back in Ayling's absence?
It’s one of the possibilities. Jamie was hurt for a relatively long stretch since I’ve been here. But I’ve got to know him more and more, I’ve watched him for the U23s. I’ve also gone back and watched the games he’s played this year and the moments he has had on the pitch. I potentially think he can fit into that whether we play four or five. We’ve also visited the possibility of playing one of our centre backs in that position. And also with Raphinha and Dan James who did that admirably in a five against Arsenal. So I’m certainly going to give away what we’re going to do but Jamie is certainly is the mix.
How do you get the best out of Raphinha?
First of all, I like Raphinha’s passion, his mentality, personality, desire to win and be a great player. He is a fantastic talent, we haven’t got enough out of him. That’s the truth. We’ve tried to find ways to play with him a little bit wider, we’ve tried to find ways where he is in transition moments a little bit more, we’ve tried to find ways to get him around the goal more. Against these opponents, the best opponents, it’s not like we’re going to be in the final third for 50% of the game where we can really get him on the ball. That means getting him in transition and finding him opportunities to get him around the goal. In those moments is where he can be dangerous. Playing him at wing back doesn’t always find him the chances to be in those spaces but again, we’ll figure out how to get him the ball more, how to get him in space more, how to get him on the move more so that he can be dangerous and help the team.
Goal difference – is there an element of you going into this game wanting to go for it?
Being pragmatic always in these matches against best opponents is important, but also finding times to be aggressive, especially at home. We all know our fans don’t want to see us sit in our box for 90 minutes. So they want to see us be aggressive, they want to bring energy into the game and we want to do that. But we want to be pragmatic in our ability to do that. We don’t want to be careless, reckless. We want to be thoughtful and intelligent with our tactical plan and then our ability to be aggressive in the right moments. In the Man City match, as much as it was 4-0 and not successful on the day, we managed that part of things pretty well. How it fits for every opponent is a bit different but certainly again we want to be aggressive at the right time, but intelligent so we’re not opening up spaces for the opponent.
Gandhi – how much do you do that and why?
Inspiration is a big part of this job. When you lead people you have to find ways to have your finger on the pulse of exactly what’s happening at any moment. I have 52 articles, little excerpts from books that I sometimes give players when individually I think they need something to motivate them based on where they are in their development path, or who they are as people and how to reach them a bit differently than just the conversations I have with them. I have 100s of quotes that I use at different moments, that I try to think about how they fit with who I am and the way we try to play football and it how it might in a scenario within where we are in the season, the moment, the time. I love quotes, I love learning from people of the past.
Sport figures, historical figures, whatever. I think the key is the understanding of exactly what messages to use at the right time so that players understand exactly how to understand the moment. Here we are in the stress of relegation, trying to stay strong with our belief, with our confidence, with our commitment, with our mentality. So just trying to find ways to motivate, inspire our collective mentality so that we have the best chance to manage the moments we’re in. That’s the way I look at that.
How do use Dallas/Ayling even though they’re not on the pitch to lead this side?
I’ve already said the leadership council is Liam Cooper, Kalvin Phillips, Luke Ayling, Adam Forshaw, Rodrigo, Patrick Bamford and Stuart Dallas. Five of those players have been injured. It’s reduced our leadership core on the pitch to less and less and less. I’ve challenged all those guys to be around the pitch, have their finger on the pulse of what’s happening with the group, be positive, to bring the kind of energy to our training ground every day to make sure everybody knows in a difficult moment we’re good, we got this. Then it also means their ability to invest and challenge some of the other players, and I went through it could be Robin Koch, Diego Llorente, Raphinha, Dan James, Klichy, it could be a lot of the different guys that still have big experiences and can still provide their voice, their personality, their confidence in what we are right now. Then also, to lead the younger guys, to help them understand how to be strong. My idea of leadership is not just the person in this role, it’s about the entire group accessing their qualities, their abilities to be the best they can be and the best versions of themselves in the most difficult times. That’s where we are.
What’s this situation like for you personally and your family?
I’m calm, I’m calm. Obviously I’m so focused on exactly what we’re doing here, right here, right now. But again my vision was not from the beginning just 12 games. My vision is over years, and obviously the first step of my vision is staying in the Premier League because I believe this club deserves it and has earned it. But we have to earn it in the moment right now. So of course that’s all I think about, but stress doesn’t help. I know that’s the situation we’re in but our ability to just remove that and continue to go forward in the ways that we want to and eliminate all the pressures of whatever it is. This is why I love our fans in the stadium because I think that they get it. They are the ones, when I see in the street when they’re positive with me. Or their energy in the crowd at Arsenal, or after the Man City game or during the Norwich game or whatever. This is what pushes us, this is what I think will help us achieve our goal in the next three games that are positive and behind us and they know how to express that every time they are in the stadium. We will use that tomorrow night for sure.
Elland Road factor – what do you expect from the supporters?
I don’t expect or demand anything other than what I’ve already seen which is love and positivity in that stadium in every moment to push us to where we want to go. I can promise to them we’re going to put a team on the pitch that is ready to go after that, that is aggressive, that plays with confidence, that represents the identity of what this fanbase is. I’m clear with that, clearer now I think than I’ve ever been in the time I have been here. We will make sure when we put a match plan together, when we think about how we want play on matchday that it represents those things.
Better time to play Chelsea?
I can see why theoretically why it is a good time to play them. That was also a talking point playing Man City in between Real Madrid fixtures. A team like Chelsea they’ve been through a lot this year, they’ve had an ownership change, on the back of winning a UCL it’s never easy to try replicate that kind of success in the next season. There’s pressures which come with that, they’ve had injuries, a lot of fixtures, up and down form and a big match on the weekend. But that is a quality club, with a quality manager, incredible players, they all know how to manage difficult situations. Who they bring, what their line-up is, it doesn’t matter. We have to prepare for a team that is very, very good, that will come here and play their best and we have to deliver our best.
How are the players coping with stress?
I think the players are doing well. The moments after the disappointment in the last two games is obviously important for me to manage that effectively. To stay positive with them, to be encouraging with them, to let them know this is not just about one, two, three matches, that we continue to stay strong and fight until the very end and stay clear until the very end. It’s about being aggressive against the ball, wanting the ball on the pitch, wanting to be in this moment, about knowing that we’re good and that we’re stronger together with our tactics, with our group mentality. Those our the things that will ultimately reward us in the moment. I can say that the work on the pitch has got clearer and clearer and the understanding of our principles about how we want to play has got better every week, every day. Then it’s about now in a stressful situation and against very good opponents, in the stadium to execute. That’s what it comes down to, the clarity of execution about what we want the game to look like.
Examples of video analysis about what you do like?
We have video analysis every day and it’s always about principles, match plans, roles, individual, small groups, group all together. In some ways I’ve found that in the last few months I have been a video analyst more than a manager. I’m tired, my wife is tired of me sitting with my computer that’s for sure. It’s important that I’m looking at every moment, sorting through the details and communicating to the players about what I think is important for them to understand their roles on matchday. To be fair we have an intelligent group and they’ve tried in every way.
I think it’s certainly not been perfect but it has to do with everything involved. I’ve been careful not to overwhelm them and I’ve also been careful, as I’ve said along the process, to understand it’s not going to be perfect. I’ve also been careful to introduce less than more at the right times because I want them to still be free on match play to go and play, but to do it with discipline and clarity. That balancing act for somebody who is very detail orientated and sometimes a micro manager, when it comes to these things, that balance is important for me to understand and get right. That’s what I’m trying to every day.
What was in the note to Dan James?
We just changed the tactical look. The second half went almost exactly how I wanted it to go. It was tight, we made it difficult, we were dangerous on a couple of transition moments. Could we get a goal on a set piece and then as the game went on we could be tactically more dangerous and see if we could have five/10/15 minutes where we could poach one more goal and we almost did that. We switched and played more 4-3-2 with Dan up top. That’s what that was, with a couple of instructions.
The benefit of Covid, was when playing in empty stadiums you could communicate with the players more. I don’t think the players like that. I think they like playing in front of fans and listening to their manager less, which is the truth. Game day isn’t for managers, it’s more for players. Just trying to execute a plan which I thought again, the second half. If you play a man down at Arsenal and you win that half 1-0, you’d say well done.
Raphinha distracted?
Not at all, I see a person that is 100% invested in what we’re doing here. His emotion, which would someone already talked about, it can be interpreted as lack of discipline. I look at it as total investment; he’d do anything to ensure this club stays where it belongs. That part for me has been no talking point or thought at all. He’s all in.
How important is the challenge for players to step up and be leaders?
For me the job is individually to help players to get better and grow. Then as a group to manage that so the individual projects add up to more in the group project. The sum of the parts is bigger than the whole. I could use a lot of examples of guys that I think in my time here have already grown massively. That’s something that in a difficult situation makes me proud to see that the connection I’ve had with the team and individuals, the way they’ve responded and their growth has added up to making a difference. That’s really my philosophy as a football coach, to try use the platform of football to help people develop and become bigger.
Other historical figures you look up to?
So many. I’ve used Muhammad Ali a few times with the group. Michael Jordan is a guy I’m inspired by. Phil Jackson. I could start dating myself if I went back to Vince Lombardi, Jonny Unitas. I’ve used also in the past the 1998 French football team. I’ve used the 2008 basketball road to redemption, the gold medal team in China. For me I love basketball culture in America, it’s phenomenal. The way they combine inner city kids with university graduates, with incredible mentors, the history of the sport is amazing. I used things that resonate with me that can also fit within the standing of where we are. Then there’s also historical figures like Gandhi, Mother Theresa, presidents like JFK and different people along the way that I think have meant something to where we are historically in the world right now. I mean, I like to read about those things. I like leadership books, I like history, I was a history major in university. But those are boring conversations, let’s get back to football.
