It has been a hectic six weeks for Jesse Marsch since his appointment as Leeds United's new manager back in February. The American took over from Marcelo Bielsa after three-and-a-half years at the club and he steadied the ship, securing three victories and a draw from his opening six games in charge.
Those results have lifted the Whites nine points clear of the relegation zone and in a commanding position to go and secure Premier League survival for another season. However, Marsch had to come into a changing room littered with injuries, issues and problems to solve.
In an interview with talkSPORT on Tuesday morning, Marsch lifted the lid on picking up the players' confidence, differences between the German and English game, plus a whole lot more. So, with that in mind, here is the full transcript as Natalie Sawyer, Ally McCoist and Darren Bent quizzed the 43-year-old on his time at Elland Road so far.
READ MORE: Leeds United learn key off-season date ahead of Premier League run-in
Jesse, you've got to be pleased with the way things are going?
Yes, I think it has got to do with the character of men we have in our team. From day one, they have accepted me and they have tried to learn the new style of football I want them to play. The work ethic every day is at a very high level and it is a lot of fun to work with them.
Did you feel any more pressure replacing Marcelo Bielsa?
No, I have done this a lot where I have come after good managers and popular managers and I know it is just about the work. You've [Ally McCoist] been a player and you know what it is like, this is our world, if you succumb to pressure you are in the wrong business. So, you just have to wake up every morning, go to work, do the best you can, do the best every day, then find ways to be intelligent, find ways to improve, find ways to be innovative, and then be clear with the way you communicate and the way you work with the group of players. We've managed to have a relatively quiet work day every day. That has led to us focusing on the things that can make a difference in us fighting for points.
How hard was it to pick the players' confidence up off the floor?
I could see, just from watching games from afar and even talking to people at the club, that the stress levels were really high. The first days I just spoke about trying to stay calm. We had 12 games to go - that's almost a third of a season and there was a lot to play for. There was a lot of opportunities for us to do what we needed to do to control our destiny. So, day-by-day I just tried to explain what playing philosophy I want us to play like. The guys again who are here, have already operated at a high level, they will run and fight for each-other and the fit has been good. Victor Orta reached out to me a couple of years ago and just talked about what it would be like to be here and it was an intelligent thing as I am thankful to be here as well. It has been really fun for me to find a place where I am appreciated, where the things I appreciate fit with the ethos of the city, the club and the fans, so there is still so much to do, but it has been a lot of fun in these first few weeks.
How appreciated do you feel at Leeds now you've had a few games?
There is even dialogue now comparing myself and Marcelo, which I find ridiculous. But appreciation doesn't matter as much as I think connection, energies and what it feels like to work on the inside of a team. So, if you haven't done it before and you've only been a fan, commentator or a pundit, you don't really know what it is like to work on the inside of a team. Everyone has a right to have their opinion, but the only option that matters is the one inside here at Thorp Arch. That is what we've tried to focus on is our relationships, our communications and the way we push every day.
How near are you to have a full squad to pick from?
The injury issues had a lot to do with the training methodologies, the players were over-trained. That led them to being physically, mentally, psychologically and emotionally in a difficult place to recover from week-to-week and game-to-game. I have a very specific methodology in the way I work and I've had a reputation for having high running data in the way we play, but also having healthy, fit and strong players so we can meet the demands we want. So, we tried to put that into place to help the players, I think that has helped a lot. The one with Patrick I felt terrible about because the responsibility of a coach to take care of players and to make sure you're not injuring them and putting them in harms way. In the end, it didn't go the way I wanted with Patrick and I always feel like it is my responsibility to get that right. But for the most part, we are getting healthy and strong with almost the entire group. The other part of that is the playing style. Marcelo had such strong man-to-man demands and trying to rip apart three-and-a-half years of work structured exactly to do that, to now transitioning into what I want to do moving forward has been challenging for the players to adapt to. They have worked really hard at it but they still fall into old habits, especially when they are fatigued on the pitch. It's normal, right? I'm going to tell them a story today that I was watching a video on the bus ride back and I was frustrated about some of the things that were still not right. But then when I got off the bus, I went to go and get in my car and I got in the wrong side because I am still used to driving on the right hand side of the road.
Did you feel any physical or mental drainage when you came in?
Absolutely. From afar, you could see it on their faces and you could see in the 15th minute of some of those games that they were already at the maximum, and that shouldn't be the case. I know there were a lot of games where the guys had to play over and over again because of injuries, but I find that in this sport, you have to have a fit team. But the more your team is fit, healthy and performing at a high level, that is how you create success. Again, I have worked very carefully through methodologies of how we train, how we play, how everything fits together to make sure that we have a healthy group that is at top fitness and form so we can compete for as many points as possible.
What are the major differences, if any, between the top tier in England and in Germany?
For sure, the talent level is massive. There is good tactical levels on the pitch, but Germany is a coaches league. Every team has a very distinct, tactical plan that is put to place, and listen, the Germans often think of players as chess pieces, not as people. I loved that I learned a lot of the tactical philosophies in Germany and the details in which they think about the game. I think that is starting to spill over to England more and more. And coaches are coming here with a German background and this idea of having a tactical model. But one of the things you have in England here is an incredible mentality and fight to run for 90-plus minutes. I try to do both as well, I want to have a manager that has a distinct plan and a tactical model on the pitch, but I also want a team that goes out, fights for everything, believes in each-other, runs for each-other, and wants to do everything to get the result on the day. What's nice is that this playing philosophy that I have created or at least learned and built upon, fits really well with that mentality, so that's what I want to do.
How important is it to have the core group still together?
It works both ways, the positives are that they have worked so hard to get here, they know how much it means, they understand both the city, the club, the fanbase and they understand what it means to be a part of Leeds. They are also incredible young men, they come every day and work so hard, like honestly our professional team has less egos than our Under 23s team. We're still working through our 23s team to make sure they are doing things correctly. They're a still a good group, but it is just a big reflection of where the professionals are in the club. It also has meant that they've felt the pressure of staying and making the fans proud. They've harboured the stress on the fans back and I have felt that, I could see that early on and how we could perform at our optimal every day in training, but most importantly in game day.
How have you settled into life in Yorkshire?
It is a stark contrast to Germany. In Germany, I came from a place that is pretty cold and people aren't so open, we liked being there as well. But here, people are so open and warm, and Elland Road is incredibly special. But I talk about the everyday life of living on the street, I like it more when people don't know who I am. And then I go into places and see how friendly they are. No matter who you are the way they interact with each-other, I think there is a genuineness to the region that really resonates with me and then the fans have been nothing but positive with me when they do recognise me. They appreciate that the team has played so hard and has found a way to get more points and have been very gracious with me as the new coach. So, I am really thankful to be here, it is a really good fit and I have spoken positively at almost every corner because of the experience and it has been incredible. I just want to keep working hard to help our team to improve and honour what this team and club is.
