It might be time to start worrying about Leeds United.
Leeds fell to a 2-0 defeat at Leicester on Thursday, extending their winless run to seven games. In that spell they’ve been shut out four times, and supporters appear to be getting pretty agitated.
That poor form has completely unraveled what was a good start to the 2022-23 season. Leeds took seven points from their first three games, including a 3-0 win over Chelsea. Since then, though, they’ve picked up just two points, and are only above the relegation places on goal difference.
Not all defeats are the same, and Leeds will maintain that they were unlucky to lose to Leicester, who even with the win remain two spots further down the table than Jesse Marsch’s club. It took a Robin Koch own goal to put Leicester on the board early, and the one and only shot on goal from the Foxes saw Harvey Barnes finish off a flowing move to make it 2-0.
That is a fair argument for Leeds to make, but they offered little going forward as Leicester defended their box with a distinct sense of comfort. Sure, Leeds gave up very little in the game, but even while trailing for most of the match, they managed to test Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward with a whopping two shots.
With all that in mind, it wasn’t a shock to find out that traveling Leeds fans were unhappy with what they saw at the King Power Stadium.
"What the f*** is going on," #LUFC fans to Jesse Marsch. #LEILEE
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) October 20, 2022
Pressure building on Marsch
Marsch is under pressure for a few different reasons. The raw results don’t help, and there’s always the issue of following a beloved coach like Marcelo Bielsa (who some fans brought up as this game wore down). Coaches from the U.S. are also received skeptically in the UK — just ask Bob Bradley — as a matter of course. Marsch’s past successes in MLS and Austria deserve respect, but in a “sure he’s won in Europe, but can he get it done on a rainy night in Brentford?” kind of environment, his seat will likely heat up faster than another coach’s would.
There’s also the fact that Leeds — after selling Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, it must be said — spent more than Liverpool on additions this summer, with five different players coming in on nine-figure transfer fees. That spending was designed to avoid needing another dramatic escape on the final day of the season, and at the moment that unwanted outcome appears to be distinctly possible.
On the plus side, at least for U.S. men’s national team fans, the heat Marsch is starting to feel hasn’t yet extended to Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams. Both have started every one of Leeds’ games in the Premier League, and Aaronson in particularly seems to have become an instant hit.
However, any time a team goes this long between wins, changes might arrive. Marsch has long stuck to his high-pressing principles, but we may soon see a change in roles, formation, or specific tactics that could impact the USMNT duo in some way.
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