Marcelo Bielsa was always going to be a tough act to follow at Leeds United but Jesse Marsch has managed to get supporters onside relatively quickly. Emotions were running high following the departure of the idolised Argentine but despite overseeing defeats in his first two games in charge, Marsch appears to be winning over the Elland Road faithful.
In a survey issued by LeedsLive, supporters were asked to rate his first month in charge out of 10 in various categories. Hundreds engaged with the survey and it was Marsch's handling of the media that came out on top with a rating of 8.3 . Although some may deem this less important than other aspects of management, the American was immediately placed under intense scrutiny after taking the reins.
He was peppered with questions about his predecessor and his popularity at Elland Road and also had to field questions about stereotypes concerning Americans in the sport. Throughout various interviews, he remained respectful of Bielsa whilst being open about his fresh ideas, something which supporters have evidently recognised.
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His team selections have also managed to please supporters and he has been given an average rating of 7.4 in this area. He has made bold calls and had to contend with injuries but appears to have appeased the masses. Plenty of criticism was directed towards Bielsa in the latter stages of his tenure, although it was his arguably his substitutions which drew the most intense ire. However, Marsch has performed well in this area with fans average rating coming in at 7.3 for the changes he has made during matches.
The lowest rating has been given to Marsch for his in-game tactics, although the 48-year-old has still landed a respectable score of 7, bringing his overall rating to 7.4 .
Had the survey covered just his first fortnight as Leeds boss, results could have looked very different. Defeats to Leicester City and Aston Villa had worsened fears of relegation but wins over Norwich City and Wolverhampton Wanderers certainly eased them before the Whites picked up a point against Southampton.
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