Tag: Jesse Marsch

Armas not on Gracia’s Leeds staff, still reportedly at Leeds

It’s been a strange few weeks for Armas

It’s already over for Chris Armas at Leeds…sort of.

Leeds manager Javi Gracia said that the former U.S. men’s national team midfielder, who hasn’t been seen on the bench since the Spaniard took over, is not on his first-team coaching staff.

“He’s not part of my staff. He’s not here,” Gracia told reporters ahead of his side’s Saturday home match against Brighton. “It’s something the club can maybe explain better.”

When Jesse Marsch was sacked on February 6, Leeds said his assistant Rene Maric would also be leaving the club, but Armas stayed on alongside Michael Skubala and Paco Gallardo.

However, when Gracia named his assistants, Armas’ status was not addressed. Skubala was kept on, while Gracia added assistants Mikel Antia, Zigor Aranalde, and Juan Jose Solla. Gallardo is now the club’s Under-21 head coach.

The Athletic is reporting that Armas is still employed by Leeds, but what he’s actually doing at this point remains unclear.

Armas’ very short time with Leeds

Armas couldn’t have picked a worse time to sign on with Leeds. He was officially announced as a new assistant for Jesse Marsch on January 25. That was on a Wednesday, and on the weekend Leeds defeated Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup.

Leeds then lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest on February 5, and Marsch was dismissed the next day. Armas worked as part of Marsch’s staff for a total of 12 days before things fell into disarray.

Gracia’s clarification on Friday came just 44 days after the club announced that Armas was joining the staff. Since then, he’s been an assistant, one of three members of an interim co-coaching committee set-up, and his current status on the books but not actually given any duties.

[lawrence-related id=14311,13935,13731]

Adams: Leeds more under control after Gracia replaced Marsch

The USMNT midfielder says his club isn’t looking to get forward at every opportunity anymore

Tyler Adams has said Leeds is playing a bit more under control now that Javi Gracia has taken over from Jesse Marsch as head coach.

Marsch, who is renowned for his full-throttle style, was sacked as manager last month amid a run of form that saw Leeds near the relegation zone.

The club’s efforts to land a new manager were unsuccessful at first, but Gracia was ultimately brought in last week ahead of a massive relegation clash against Southampton.

Leeds made Gracia’s debut a successful one with a 1-0 win, before falling to Fulham midweek in the FA Cup in the Spaniard’s second match in charge.

Adams has noticed a difference right away with Gracia in charge, contrasting the new boss to Marsch’s style of looking to go forward at every opportunity.

“[Gracia has] impressed me a lot. When he first came in, we didn’t have a lot of time to execute a perfect game plan for Southampton but what he did is focus on key bullet points, or key details that we need to improve,” Adams told BBC West Yorkshire Sports Daily.

“One of those things was with the ball: how can we break teams down more efficiently in possession whether from goal kicks or when we get into the attacking third, not just going to the goal straight away.

“Leeds are notorious for winning the ball back quickly and going straight to the goal. But not every time we win the ball, do we need to play the first pass forward that we see.

“Maybe we can keep the ball for two, three passes, switch the ball from side to side and start to tire the opponent. You saw that a little bit more against Southampton.

“He offers more of a balanced approach to the way that we’re going to play. It’s not just all out pressing, or all out possession, but of a balance.”

[lawrence-related id=14550,14733,14727]

Jesse Marsch remains unemployed, won’t take over at Southampton

Marsch was set to take over just a week after he was sacked by Leeds

The Jesse Marsch era at Southampton is over before it even started.

The American manager was nearing a deal to take over the struggling Saints but talks have broken down, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.

At issue was the length of Marsch’s proposed contract: Southampton wanted to bring him in on a six-month deal with the option to extend, while the manager was looking to sign onto a more long-term contract.

Marsch traveled to Southampton on Tuesday to complete the deal, but the club’s managerial search will now continue.

Marsch was nearing the Saints job just over a week after he was sacked by Leeds amid a winless run that saw the club near the Premier League relegation zone.

The 49-year-old was seen as an ideal candidate to take over for Nathan Jones, who was sacked following the club’s 2-1 home loss to a 10-man Wolves.

Jones had won just once in eight Premier League games during his tenure, which lasted just barely more than four months. Jones himself had been appointed in November after Ralph Hasenhüttl’s four-year run at St. Mary’s came to an end with Southampton taking just 12 points from the club’s first 14 Premier League matches.

That situation never improved under Jones, and the Saints sit at the very bottom of the table, four points from safety.

Marsch’s high-octane style closely mirrors Hasenhüttl’s, with Southampton believing the American would have given them a chance for survival as he would have instilled a style that the club’s players were already familiar with.

But now it appears Southampton assistant Rubén Sellés will have a shot at leading the club on a caretaker basis, as the Saints face a daunting away trip to Chelsea on Saturday.

[lawrence-related id=13731,12827,8979]

Jesse Marsch saved his job by doing the near-impossible: winning at Anfield

Leeds desperately needed a win, but this wasn’t the game they expected to get it

Jesse Marsch needed a victory to save his Leeds job, but this probably wasn’t the game he had circled on his calendar.

Leeds stunned Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield on Saturday, the club’s first league win since August 21 and a result that got them out of the relegation zone.

There were better chances to get three points for Marsch in an eight-game winless league run: last week against Fulham and the previous week at Leicester come to mind as recent examples.

But both of those games ended in defeat, with Leeds fans calling for Marsch’s head and chanting for his predecessor Marcelo Bielsa. It was getting ugly.

Liverpool, for all intents and purposes, doesn’t lose at home. Its last home defeat prior to Saturday was in March 2021. Before that, the club had a 68-game unbeaten home run snapped in January 2021.

But Crysencio Summerville scored a dramatic winner in the 89th minute in front of the away fans, giving Marsch a stay of execution. He was pretty happy.

It’s hard to blame him. Leeds was on a rotten run of results but has actually been playing fairly respectfully. The club actually had a +1.4 expected goals difference heading into the game at Anfield, suggesting it would soon start getting the rub of the green.

On Saturday that luck finally arrived, though it did take an absolutely massive performance from goalkeeper Illan Meslier and a fluky early goal from Rodrigo Moreno, who was given an empty-net tap-in thanks to a mix-up between Joe Gomez and Alisson.

“I’ve believed in this group,” Marsch told Sky Sports after the game. “We shouldn’t be in this situation if you look at the metrics, but we are. Now we’ve got something like this and now we have to stay strong.”

Whatever criticism you could level at Marsch, it’s clear that his players are still playing for him. With that and a little more luck, he could just keep his job for the long term.

Watch Summerville’s winner at Liverpool

[lawrence-related id=8955,8941,8935]

Leeds winless run hits seven as Jesse Marsch’s side falls flat at Leicester

Leeds are now only above the relegation zone on goal difference

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.

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.

[lawrence-related id=7512,6849,6825]

Marsch: Arteta is the most underrated manager in the Premier League

It’s not going to be easy for Leeds to snap a four-game winless streak on Sunday

Ahead of his side’s match against Arsenal on Sunday, Leeds manager Jesse Marsch has called his counterpart Mikel Arteta the most underrated manager in the Premier League.

Arteta has experienced plenty of highs and lows since taking over the Gunners in 2019. The Spaniard led the team to an FA Cup win in 2020 but has also been unable to finish in the top four and bring Arsenal back to the Champions League.

But the Gunners are off to a flying start this season, topping the Premier League table after eight wins and one loss in their first nine games.

“Mikel Arteta has done an amazing job, I think he’s the most underrated manager in the league,” Marsch said at his pre-game press conference. “With a young team he’s done an amazing job. It’s taken time, he took a lot of heat in the beginning.”

Marsch added his belief that Arsenal was a genuine title contender despite the incredible early-season form of Manchester City, which is just a point behind.

“You have to say yes, they’ve looked very strong and played against good opponents,” the American added. “I always do a thorough job of scouting, we know they’re a good team and they have quality. I also like when teams and coaches improve and grow together, I think that’s what’s happened with Arsenal. To be back at the top of the table shows they’ve been able to find a process and stuck with it.”

Though his Leeds side has gone four straight league games without a win, Marsch said he’s still confident in his team’s chances at home on Sunday.

“For us it can be a big boost to have a big result against an opponent like this,” he said. “We’re confident at Elland Road we can play the way we want. We want to challenge them in certain ways.”

[lawrence-related id=8258,7512,6849]

FA charges Marsch for ‘improper language and/or behavior’ after red card

The Leeds manager will face disciplinary action after a sideline meltdown at Brentford

The FA has charged Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch after he was shown a red card in Saturday’s 5-2 defeat at Brentford.

Marsch was fuming after his side was denied a second-half penalty, getting up close and personal with the assistant referee.

According to the FA, Marsch’s “language and/or behavior during the 64th minute was improper.” He has until Friday to respond to the charge.

Marsch admitted after the game that he could have controlled himself better, but he also accused the officials of disrespect.

“I can have more discipline and our team can also have more discipline in these moments, but I also have to think about how to discuss these things,” Marsch told  Match of the Day. “I don’t know if it’s with the league or other referees, because things I was told at manager meetings before the start of the season aren’t happening.

“That’s really the source of the frustration. I was calm all the time before there’s an egregious act for me. I don’t ever want to get tossed and I don’t want to show disrespect to referees but, when I feel there’s disrespect going in the other direction, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do right now.”

[lawrence-related id=6849,6832,6825]

Jesse Marsch and Leeds melt down in blowout loss at Brentford

It was a rough day at the office for Leeds and its manager on Saturday

Jesse Marsch was shown a red card at Brentford on Saturday as Leeds suffered its worst outing of the season in a 5-2 away defeat.

Ivan Toney scored a hat trick as Leeds lost for the second Premier League game out of three.

The American coach cut a frustrated figure throughout but he went too far in the referee’s eyes in the second half when protesting what he thought should have been a penalty for his side.

Marsch got in the assistant referee’s face and appeared to impede him on the sideline, leading to referee Robert Jones to show him a red card.

After the game, Marsch admitted to Match of the Day that he could have been more disciplined but he felt disrespected by the officials.

“I can have more discipline and our team can also have more discipline in these moments, but I also have to think about how to discuss these things,” Marsch said. “I don’t know if it’s with the league or other referees, because things I was told at manager meetings before the start of the season aren’t happening.

“That’s really the source of the frustration. I was calm all the time before there’s an egregious act for me. I don’t ever want to get tossed and I don’t want to show disrespect to referees but, when I feel there’s disrespect going in the other direction, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do right now.”

Watch Marsch get shown a red card

[lawrence-related id=6788,6801,6318]

The Americans Abroad Five: Suddenly the strikers are red hot

Gregg Berhalter may have a selection headache when it comes to September’s roster

All of a sudden, the U.S. men’s national team has some striker options.

In one week. three USMNT forwards combined for five goals: Josh Sargent, Haji Wright and Jordan Pefok.

Like any striker not named Jesús Ferreira, the trio is right on the roster bubble for the World Cup and, more immediately, on the roster bubble for September’s final two tune-ups.

It’s unlikely that all three will be on the plane to Qatar but if they keep up their current form, they will give Gregg Berhalter a desired and unexpected problem: too many in-form forwards to fit on one roster.

Despite Jesse Marsch’s wishes, Thomas Tuchel will be on the sideline for Leeds vs. Chelsea

The Leeds boss said he’d be “disappointed” if Tuchel were allowed on the sideline

Thomas Tuchel will be on the sideline for Chelsea’s match against Leeds on Sunday after the FA sanctioned the Blues manager with a suspended touchline ban for his altercation with Antonio Conte.

Tuchel and Conte were shown red cards for their clash after Chelsea’s draw with Tottenham last weekend, and the FA disciplined both managers on Friday.

Tuchel received a £35,000 fine and a one-game touchline ban, while Conte was fined £15,000 and did not receive a touchline ban.

The FA added in a statement: “These sanctions are subject to appeal, and Thomas Tuchel’s one match touchline ban has been suspended temporarily pending the independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for its decisions that will be made available in due course.”

That means that Tuchel will be on the sideline at Elland Road on Sunday as Chelsea takes on Jesse Marsch’s Leeds.

Tuchel’s presence may not sit well with Marsch, who was asked at a press conference on Friday if he was looking forward to his post-game handshake with the Chelsea boss.

The Leeds manager responded: “No, he won’t be there, right?”

When informed that, at the time, Tuchel’s presence was still an open question, Marsch responded: “Are they saying he might be able to be on the bench? That doesn’t seem right, does it? If you get a red card, you’re out a match.

“I would be disappointed if they allowed him to be on the bench. There’s a simple rule in football — whether it’s soccer or football, if you get a red card you can’t play the next match.”

But both managers will be on the sideline when Chelsea and Leeds meet, with both clubs having started their season with a win and a draw.

[lawrence-related id=6251,6248,6235]