They’re a tough crowd!
MARSCH VOWS TO WIN OVER THE LEEDS FANS DESPITE CHANTS FOR BIELSA
NEW Leeds manager Jesse Marsch insists he has not been traumatised by his welcome to Ell.
Fans launched into deafening chants in support of sacked boss Marcelo Bielsa as Marsch’s first home game in charge ended in a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa on Thursday night.
And the American knows he will run the gauntlet again if there is no sign that Leeds can win their looming relegation battle when his side entertain Norwich at Elland Road today in a game that will go a long way in deciding the fate of both clubs.
Marsch said: “Firstly, I have learned in this business not to take anything personally.
“I am tasked with a job to do. I understand part of it is managing fans and their opinion of me and the team.
“But the best way I can do it is make the team perform in the ways that I know they can. This is where I direct my effort.
“I find the people here very kind and warm.
“That can change if the team doesn’t perform. I am very aware of that – but I am OK with that too.
“I came here knowing what the reality is, so my focus is entirely on getting the team to play. I do realise that public opinion has an affect on players’ confidence and I have to manage that.
“When I am asked what I can say to the fans, I try to paint a picture as to who I am and how I manage, and I hope the fans can respond to that.
“The most important thing is that the players are clear on game day and they show what they can do.”
Leeds have plunged towards the drop zone after picking up a point from their last eight games.
The departure of Bielsa has not been well received by the supporters, even though the Argentine appeared to run out of ideas and inspiration during his fourth season at the helm.
Marsch insists the team will only avoid the drop by sticking together.
But the form of inspirational Brazilian winger Raphinha will be a concern.
Raphinha is the club’s top scorer with nine goals, but he has only found the net once in his last 11 appearances.
Marsch said: “Raphinha is a special individual and clearly a special player.
“The team is always the most important, but with every individual you have to get to know what makes them tick.
“How do they respond to good things, bad things, negative things?
“I have to get to the core of that. I have had some good interaction and conversations with him.
“His role has changed a bit in terms of what I want him to do tactically, but he’s responded really well. He’s another guy who wants it so bad.
“He is trying everything he can. But what happens with all of them is it becomes individual instead of it being the collective.
“I like Raphinha a lot. I like his talent and I have had a lot of success working with young, talented attacking players. I will keep working with him to help him understand how he can fit into what we’re doing.”
IT SAYS everything about Anthony Gordon’s emergence at Everton this season that, even at the age of 21, he refuses to dodge the issue of the growing threat of relegation.
Just one win in 10 games has sent the Merseysiders tumbling towards the bottom three and the last drops of optimism generated by the appointment of Frank Lampard (below) as manager were drained completely by a 5-0 defeat at Tottenham last Monday.
Gordon is one of the few players to have enhanced his reputation during a difficult campaign that has already seen Rafa Benitez sacked.
As a local lad, he feels the pain as much as any
Toffees fan – and at the moment he is hurting badly.
“It’s been a big year for me, but it’s hard for me to really be happy and take positives because I am going home feeling devastated for days after a defeat,” said Gordon.
“Members of my family are trying to cheer me up, saying,
‘You played well’, but they don’t understand that I am part of the team, and losing. I am not a loser, I am a winner.
“So it’s hard to take it as a positive. Knowing the other lads personally, I believe we all feel the same.
“I can only speak on behalf of myself, but being around the lads, having a good relationship with them, I really believe them.”
Gordon’s eyes flash with defiance when he is asked whether Everton’s players really do care.
They have picked up just six points from a possible 39 on the road so far and they must make the most of home games against Wolves and Newcastle this week to ensure the hostile Goodison Park atmosphere remains focused on visiting teams.
Gordon said: “I can totally understand why people might think we don’t care.
“But football is our life and we give everything to it. Looked at from that perspective, to say a player ‘does not care’ is a stupid way of thinking.
“We are here day in, day out. We eat right, sleep right, we give our lives to it. Everyone here cares. It’s a massive deal and we’re striving together.
“It’s a difficult period, but tough times bring out the best in people.
“But we have said it too many times and keep making the same mistakes.
“We have no time for that any more. We are very aware of the position we are in and it’s about correcting those mistakes, being together as a group and, first and foremost, fighting.
“In this league, with its physicality, if you fight first, you give yourself a chance.
“Without any fight or aggression, you have no chance. We need to fight for ourselves and the club.”
Gordon added: “It’s been a really tough week, very disappointing. The defeat at Spurs is not the sort of thing a team of this calibre should be experiencing.
“Our home games have been incredible, because not many teams have the fan base we have.
“We’ve been really good at Goodison in the last few games, so it’s about carrying that on and then hopefully building on it.
“But if we win the next two, it must be about not stopping there and just going away from home and making the same mistakes.
“For the best teams there’s no, ‘Oh we can rest now because we won a few games at home’.
“It’s got to be top performance after top performance and, again, that takes character and togetherness within the team.”