TIME TICKING FOR JESSE
JESSE MARSCH expects to shoulder the blame if the unthinkable happens and Leeds United slide back into the Championship. The Yorkshire giants are staring at the grim prospect of relegation just two seasons after returning to the Premier League following a 16-year absence.
Marsch replaced Marcelo Bielsa with 12 games remaining and after thewhites had collected just a point and conceded 21 goals during a dismal six-match run.
Marsch gradually stopped the rot and steered Leeds to a five-game unbeaten sequence to encourage hopes of survival.
Yet three straight defeats have plunged them into the relegation zone with just two games left – today’s visit of Brighton and next Sunday’s trip to Brentford.
Marsch has had his critics since arriving at Elland Road and on Friday he was asked whether he expects to be blamed if Leeds go down.
The American, 48, said: “The person in this position, when things don’t go well, always gets blamed.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re in a relegation scrap or whatever.
“What I like is that when it goes well, I want it to be about the players, the team, the club and the fans.that’s my belief of what this job is and, the better I do my job, then the credit can go to other places and we can enjoy success together.
“Our focus right now is always to stay strong together, have a plan for this match and make sure that we’re at our best.
“Of course it’s incredibly serious. There are bigger things in life than just football but we are so committed here.
“The gravity of the situation, and the difficult of it, has unified us even more.”
Marsch realised Leeds were in a perilous position when he accepted the job in late February.
But he is hoping his work with the squad during his brief reign can guide them to safety.
He added: “All I knew when I stepped into this situation was that I was getting into the fire.
“I tell you, when I came in with 12 matches to go I looked at these last two games and thought, ‘Yes, it will come down to those last two games’.we’re going to make sure that we’re ready to be at our absolute best.”