Jesse Marsch was was seen as a natural successor to Marcelo Bielsa. The heir to the Argentine's throne has built up the reputation of high pressing, but efficient attacking play, with the seeds currently being sown at Elland Road.
The Whites are five points clear of the relegation zone before welcoming the league leaders to Elland Road this weekend. Whites' supporters need no reminding how the reverse fixture panned out at the Etihad earlier this season, with City blowing Bielsa's side out of the water in a 7-0 win.
Marsch knows his side cannot afford a repeat of that result which would decimate confidence heading into thee final run in. The Whites have been rejuvenated since the American's arrival and are in the midst of a five game unbeaten run which has given them a cushion to the bottom three.
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The Whites boss has already told reporters he believes City are the best team in the world at this current time, having faced them earlier this season when in charge of RB Leipzig. City brushed the Bundesliga side aside with a 6-3 win, but that result can be a valuable lesson to Marsch ahead of this weekend.
The American departed Leipzig just two days before their second Champions League group game against City - a fixture that the Bundesliga side would win 2-1 on home soil. It's unclear how much of a say Marsch had on the build-up to that game, but if he did handle preparations, it bodes well for Leeds this weekend.
Sure, it's a different playing squad to the one he inherited at Leeds, but the Whites head coach has already shown his sides can score goals against Pep Guardiola's outfit, whilst also shipping goals at the other end. If Leeds can use the platform of back to back clean sheets and utilise the attacking play used by Leipzig earlier this season, then they could pull off a remarkable result if they keep Man City at bay.
Of course that'll be no easy task. Guardiola himself knows just what to expect from Marsch's sides. Speaking after Man City's win over Leipzig earlier this season, he said: "A real tough, tough game. They play all or nothing, so they are able to create chances.
"They play inside with four players in the build-up and then try to get players in behind, you cannot defend spaces inside which is difficult. They did really well.
"A team like Leipzig never give up. They have a strategy and a clear idea, they attack inside, they put a lot of players inside, they don't have a problem losing the ball because they're there inside.
"When they lose the ball they complete the transition quick to retrieve the ball and attack quick. They're able to press you. You are able to run, create chances and punish them but they're interesting to play against."
Leeds are still very much in a transition period under Marsch and cannot afford to replicate the gung-ho attacking approach synonymous with Leipzig. Even a point against the Premier League title challengers would be a good result.
