Jesse Marsch shares what other teams’ coaches have told him about Leeds United fans
Coaches of other teams have told Jesse Marsch that Leeds United have one of the best set of fans in the Premier League, according to the American.
Aston Villa visit Elland Road tonight for the manger’s first home game since he took over from Marcelo Bielsa, and the new boss appears to be developing a good relationship with the support already.
The home fans will have a big role to play as the team look for a first win since January to lift themselves away from the relegation zone.
Speaking ahead of the game, via Mail+, Marsch said: “I’m really excited.
“I’ve heard from multiple people, friends of mine that are coaches of other teams and our players, that this is, if not the best, one of the best environments and most loud and energetic and supportive fanbases in the League.
“We need them. I think everybody in the city knows that we need them. This is a group effort, man. We have a one-team city here and let’s use it to make sure that we are creating momentum.
“The fans have come to a really good balance of understanding that they can love Marcelo Bielsa and still support the new coach and the new direction of the team. I’m very comfortable with that.”
12th man
The Whites need all the support they can get right now, and they are sure to receive plenty of it from the stands tonight.
The 3-3 draw at Villa Park last month shows the team can get at Steven Gerrard’s men.
And with the more compact formation the recently-arrived manager has implemented they should be able to prevent the same defensive chaos on show in Birmingham.
There were encouraging signs in the 1-0 defeat at Leicester last weekend, after a run of morale-sapping defeats.
But it will take more than signs to get United out of relegation danger, and fans will be more concerned about points than beautiful football.
The Match of the Day panel were united in dismissing the manager’s post-match comments that he was more concerned about the performance rather than the points after that game.
He probably didn’t mean it quite so literally, but the fact is that an ugly 1-0 will get an extremely loud and energetic response this time out.
In other Leeds United news, the manager has been working on a plan for the visitor’s “game-changer” ahead of the match.