Jesse Marsch could be forgiven for kicking back in his business class airplane seat and relaxing with an alcoholic beverage or two as Leeds United made their way back to West Yorkshire over the weekend.
The Whites’ pre-season tour of Australia was tiring and demanding at times as they took in games against Brisbane Roar, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace in quick succession. But, Marsch got through plenty of good work Down Under both on and off the training field in an attempt to make his mark on the United squad.
And, with the Premier League season fast approaching, the American head coach will be confident that he managed to do exactly that, while also ensuring his side are better prepared for the rigours and challenges of the campaign ahead. Of course, Leeds won’t be judged on the success of their pre-season tour this season, but progress was made in Australia and Marsch will have been delighted with the efforts of his squad and coaching staff as they made the journey back to Thorp Arch.
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In fact, Marsch was probably one of the biggest winners of the whole tour as he got stuck into his first pre-season with the club. The head coach achieved the objective of survival last season with a dramatic final day win over Brentford and, with the pressure off, this summer he has had the opportunity to fully implement his philosophy and communicate his message.
While performances on tour were far from perfect, glimpses of his preferred style of play could be seen, with Leeds moving the ball well, creating width through the full-backs and pressing high up the field. Of course, there is still plenty to work on, with the attacking line looking jaded and narrow at times, while in all three games played the Whites were caught out on the counter-attack.
The American will hope to iron out those flaws out over the next week and a half before Wolves make the journey to Elland Road on August 6. However, having seen all of them in action Down Under, he’ll be confident that his new signings will slot in seamlessly.
Rasmus Kristensen was Leeds’ best on tour, making a huge impression in the right-back role and playing more minutes than any other player. The Denmark international looked the part going forward down the line, but his defensive presence was also eye-catching, particularly against Premier League opposition in Villa and Palace.
Marc Roca was another that seemed to settle in Down Under, starring in the middle of the park with three classy performances and making his presence felt on the training ground through his competitiveness and energy. Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams showed heaps of promise, too, as they managed to showcase why Marsch is such a fan of the pair of them.
Unfortunately Luis Sinisterra only got 72 minutes on the field of play and picked up a hamstring injury at the Optus Stadium in Perth, meaning he couldn’t quite demonstrate his ability in the way his fellow recruits did, but he seems to have made an impression on his teammates, with Roca speaking highly on him during a fan Q&A in Fremantle. Marsch will have been pleased with the progress of the youngsters he took to the other side, as well.
Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville, Darko Gyabi and Leo Hjelde all picked up valuable minutes, while Archie Gray had people talking with his brief showings in a white shirt. The 16-year-old was stretchered off in the game against Villa after a heavy collision with John McGinn, but he escaped without injury and could well have a role to play in the Premier League this season under Marsch.
The head coach will have been delighted to see Patrick Bamford make progress on the field, too, after such a wretched campaign last time around. The striker’s workload is still being managed and he missed training at times, but he managed to get a lot of game time under his belt which will only stand in him in good stead as he looks to leave last season’s injury struggles in the past.
Liam Cooper wasn’t quite so fortunate Down Under as he sat out all three games and most training sessions with a minor but troublesome Achilles issue and that can only mean he is a doubt for the opening game of the campaign. However, the skipper certainly played a big role off the field in ensuring the trip brought a much-changed squad together as a group.
The centre-back was one of three players to head to the Suncorp Stadium to watch the State of Origin whilst in Queensland, and trips to restaurants and Perth Zoo were also organised as the squad took advantage of their well-earned downtime. It cannot be said that Leeds failed to make an impression off the field, either, as they got out into the community, engaged with existing supporters and created new ones.
Fan events in selected Gold Coast, Brisbane and Perth venues, showcased the passion and size of Leeds’ following, while open training sessions were well attended, too, as Leeds, both literally and figuratively, made plenty of noise everywhere they went. The mayor of Gold Coast came out to welcome the Whites to Australia, while the Premier of Western Australia Mark McGowan held a press conference alongside Marsch whilst wearing a Leeds scarf before speaking about the impact of the tour on his state.
From a Leeds point of view, off field success will be hard to measure, but given the club were almost always the biggest show in town, few members of the travelling commercial and communications team will have been disappointed.
Indeed, it will have been smiles all round as Leeds boarded their plane to Manchester, but their preparations will be dialled up this week as they continue to ready themselves for what promises to be another gruelling and challenging campaign.
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