Jess leave it out, Mar sch
DANNY MILLS Leeds boss gets warned not to see red by making life Ell for referees
JESSE MARSCH has been urged to stop “slaughtering” referees – or risk turning officials and rival managers against Leeds.
The warning comes from former Whites defender Danny Mills, who was at Elland Road for Everton’s recent visit where Marsch’s touchline histrionics caused a stir.
During last Saturday’s 5-2 thumping at Brentford, Marsch was sent-off for berating referee Robert Jones and will now serve a touchline ban in tomorrow’s home game against Nottingham Forest.
Mills believes the American must learn to keep his emotions
in check, saying: “Marsch needs to rein it in a bit so that people don’t start highlighting him for all the wrong reasons.
“He’s a good coach with some very good ideas, but if he keeps going apoplectic on the touchline, then that’s going to detract from what he’s actually doing.
“That’s what you don’t want as a manager and I think there are one or two Leeds fans now saying, ‘Is this really necessary?’
“Yes, you want passion, but any manager needs to be calm under pressure to enable him to make the right decisions.
“Look at how Graham Potter conducts himself and the status he has elevated himself to.
“It doesn’t make him any less passionate or less of a coach, but maybe Marsch has been sucked into the Leeds fans’ mentality a bit.
“That’s great, but a manager losing it on the touchline can filter through to his players – because you start to become rash. It’s the old-school cliche about ‘fire in the belly, ice in the head’.”
Mills fears Marsch’s fiery behaviour could turn officials against Leeds if it continues.
He added: “If you’re constantly berating the referee – and I know from experience – and slaughtering the officials, if there is a 50-50 decision, then human nature says it’s going to go against you. The refs will think, ‘Hold on, you’ve been calling me all sorts, actually you’re not getting this decision’.
“Also, I think you start to annoy other teams, opposition managers, referees and the media.
Detriment
“That’s where Marsch needs to be careful that his actions are not to the detriment of his team.”
Leeds were due to be playing Nottingham Forest at Elland
Road tomorrow night, but the match has now been postponed along with all the other Premier League games, following the Queen’s death last Thursday.
But, looking ahead to the rest of the campaign, Mills added: “Leeds have to survive this season and get to between 12th and 16th.
“If they do that – and as soon as they hit the 40-point mark – then they can start building for the following season.”