Almost 4,000 miles separates Leeds from Racine but the values Jesse Marsch absorbed as a child growing up in the Wisconsin factory town are arguably keeping him in a job at Elland Road just now. The midwest is a part of the United States noted for the striking humility and sheer “niceness” of its inhabitants and, at least away from the pitch, Marsch seems a typically empathic export.
The Leeds manager’s impeccable politeness, patience and openness in the face of relentless questioning about his somewhat precarious job security partly illustrate why club executives are so reluctant to sack Marcelo Bielsa’s successor. It is no exaggeration to say Marsch’s disarming warmth away from the pitch has bought him extra time in West Yorkshire.
