Marsch, Leeds look to Push on after Survival
As Jack Harrison scored with time running out to officially secure Leeds United’s place in the Premier League for next season, two fanbases erupted. One, of course, the Leeds faithful who have been through so much this year, and the other was American soccer fans following the path of Leeds’s manager, Jesse Marsch. After success with New York Red Bulls and RB Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga, Marsch was supposed to take the next step in management with RB Leipzig this season. The move did not work out as both sides had imagined, and the Wisconsin native was out by early December. In Late February, Marsch was appointed manager of Leeds after the sacking of their beloved Marcelo Bielsa, and while it was a very difficult few months, he did get the job done and kept the club in the top division.
Leeds staying in the Premier League is great for the club - and America
Leeds’s final position on the table of 17th was the highest ever by a club led by a manager born in the United States, as the only other Americans to coach in the Premier League were Bob Bradley, who was sacked after two wins in 11 games, and the German born David Wagner. After winning titles with RB Salzburg just two managerial stops ago, this was Marsch’s first taste of a relegation fight, one he was thrown right into. It can be very difficult for managers to implement their style when hired so late in the season, and he did not have time to tinker with the squad. Now, by achieving the initial goal of staying in the Premier League, Marsch has given himself a real opportunity to create history for American managers, and prove many of the Ted Lasso stereotypes wrong.
Marsch’s teams have been known for their high energy, pressing, lightning quick attacking football, which he learned through the Red Bull setup. He was unable to fully put this into place at Leeds this year, as immediate results took precedence over building a long term system. However, the fact that the players fought until the very end for him, and their tendency to score late goals, is a sign that he was commanding enough in the dressing room. Some players may leave for bigger clubs in the summer, including stars Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips, but they should bring in large sums to reinvest in the squad. American winger Brendan Aaronson is likely to be announced as the first signing of Marsch’s tenure, and he is a player who will bring familiarity, hunger, and lots of quality to the manager’s system. It was only a year ago that Leeds finished ninth in the Premier League, and while that may not be the expectation, with more time to build they could be in line for multiple steps up the table.
The world of football has welcomed the young talented American players into top leagues, with players such as Christian Pulisic, Weston Mckennie, and Gio Reyna becoming critical to their clubs’ successes, but the welcoming attitude has not been the same for managers. After achieving Premier League survival for next year, Jesse Marsch has a fantastic opportunity to enhance the reputation of American managers, and show the world just how far his country has come.