It’s almost time for Jesse Marsch to mark a year since leaving Leeds United.
Marsch spoke nothing about his stint at the club in the initial months after leaving. He had been linked to several positions, including those at Southampton and Leicester City, who were both demoted along with Leeds.
However, Marsch has revealed more and more details about what transpired at Elland Road in recent months, even taking a jab at former Andrea Radrizzani for his choice to fire him.
Nonetheless, Marsch discussed some of the incidents of his last day in command of the club, including a chat with Luke Ayling, in an interview that aired back in December on an episode of the Michael Anthony show.
Leeds had only won two of their previous 17 Premier League games after losing 1-0 to Nottingham Forest the day before. But Ayling and the rest of the leadership group were still right behind him, according to Marsch.
Marsch shares details of her chat with Ayling.
He remarked, “It’s funny, Luke Ayling told me, ‘Jesse, we just need to stay calm like when you came in last year. We have plenty of time, we’re in a good direction, we’ve got this.'” Luke Ayling spoke to him during a leadership council meeting the day he was fired.
That day, I actually told him, “I agree with you, but I don’t think I have enough time, but I think we have enough time.” Then I got fired that afternoon.
Marsch’s era was aptly encapsulated by the game Forest. On the day, Leeds had several opportunities and let them go, but Brennan Johnson’s precision finish proved to be too much for them.
But the major concern that day was the performance in the second half. Leeds underwent a dramatic decline in form from their days under Marcelo Bielsa, which may have contributed to their dismal performance and rapid concept fatigue.
And after Leeds’ season-ending loss to West Ham in the penultimate match, Ayling acknowledged that the team’s level of fitness was simply insufficient.
Thus, even after what transpired, it was the proper move to fire Marsch, despite the fact that Ayling and the other team members may have supported him throughout.
