Who is Jesse Marsch? The former Leipzig manager who has replaced Bielsa at Leeds

Cameron Smith

Updated: 1 Mar 2022 09:29 GMT
4 min read

Leeds United have appointed Jesse Marsch as manager after sacking Marcelo Bielsa.

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The Premier League side sacked Bielsa on Saturday following a dreadful run of form that has put them in grave danger of relegation.

The Argentine manager left after nearly four years of service that includes guiding the club back to the Premier League, and achieving a ninth place finish in their debut campaign back in the big time.

However, 20 goals conceded in Bielsa's final five games in charge convinced the Leeds board that he was no longer the right man for the job.

With Bielsa gone, they have turned to the American head coach Jesse Marsch.

But, who exactly is Marsch, and what will he offer?

Who is Jesse Marsch?

Marsch is a former United States midfielder who played in the MLS for 14 seasons and earned two caps for his national team.

However, his managerial career has been far more successful. He started his venture into management when his former coach Bob Bradley was the USA national team's head coach. Marsch was assistant to Bradley for one year until he was fired in 2011.

But, since transitioning into a head coach himself, Marsch has experienced a rapid rise through the ranks.

What clubs has Jesse Marsch managed?

He began his managerial career as the first head coach of the newly-formed Montreal Impact in 2011, and guided them to 12th place in their debut campaign.

However, after one season at Montreal, he left due to a differing opinion in coaching strategy. He had to wait until 2015 before another opportunity came up, this time with New York Red Bulls, which began his association with the Red Bull Group.

During that first season, he helped the side win the MLS Supporters' Shield, along with 18 victories, the highest in the club's history, and the MLS Coach of the Year award.

His successful start to life at the club saw him earn a new contract, and he stayed with New York Red Bulls until 2018, leaving with the most wins of any head coach in their history.

His next stop was the assistant manager role at RB Leipzig, where he learned under Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick. After one year in Germany, Marsch was appointed as RB Salzburg's new head coach following Marco Rose's exit.

During his first season in charge of the Austrian side he guided them to a league and cup double. Not only that but he almost masterminded away victories at both Liverpool and Napoli as they finished third in their Champions League group.

His second season at the club brought similar success, winning a second consecutive domestic double.

Marsch's exploits at Salzburg earned him a move back to their sister club RB Leipzig in 2021, but this time as head coach.

However, he was sacked before the turn of the year after seven wins, four draws, and six losses as head coach.

How good is Jesse Marsch and what to expect from him?

Marsch is an excellent, young manager, who has the potential to guide Leeds back towards the European places.

His time at RB Leipzig didn't work out, but he's shown his pedigree in the past. He needs time to mould his time to his liking, and he'll certainly put his stamp on this Leeds side, just like Bielsa did.

Tactically flexible, he likes his teams to press high, with the belief that winning the ball high up provides the best chances to score. This pressing style will take time to learn, similar to how Rangnick hasn't been able to adjust Manchester United's fortunes straight away either.

This lines up with the speed of Marsch's attacks. He plays quick and direct football, meaning his teams play forward more often than not. It's a style that worked at Salzburg, and saw them score plenty of goals. However, it does leave them slightly exposed at the back, so the gung-ho style of Bielsa won't be disappearing from Elland Road.

Furthermore, he was the man who gave Erling Haaland the keys to score eight goals in the Champions League group stages back in the 2019/20 season, and earn himself a move to Borussia Dortmund.

He also helped bring through the likes of Hwang Hee-Chan, now at Wolves, Takumi Minamino, now at Liverpool, Patson Daka, now at Leicester, and Dominik Szoboszlai, now at RB Leipzig.

Karim Adeyemi, who has been heavily linked with Bayern Munich this season, also developed under the guidance of Marsch.

So, Leeds' attackers should thrive under the American.