Gary Lineker got it wrong after what he said about Leeds United decision – journalist
Gary Lineker got it wrong after what he said about the managerial sackings at Leeds United last season, according to James Smalles.
Speaking on the Rest Is Football podcast on Monday (4 December), the Match of the Day host said the teams that “stuck by their manager” were the ones that remained in the Premier League, while the Whites, Leicester City and Southampton were relegated after making changes during the last campaign.
But writing on the LeedsLive website on Tuesday (5 December), journalist Smalles said there won’t be many people who believe Leeds should’ve stuck by Jesse Marsch for the season as he argued that the club’s “biggest mistake” was not letting the American “go sooner” before he was replaced by Javi Gracia in February.
“Gary Lineker has suggested the teams which stayed up last season did so because they stuck with their managers, while the likes of Leeds United who had a change in the dugout didn’t help themselves by making a significant change,” said Smalles.
“While Lineker was trying to preach the merits of stability and highlight the perils that can come with a change in manager, in Leeds’ case you’ll be hard-pressed to find many who believe keeping hold of Jesse Marsch for the entire season would have brought safety rather than the relegation which eventually followed.
“In fact, most would argue Leeds’ biggest mistake was not letting Marsch go sooner before the break for the World Cup, rather than wait until the season resumed.”
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This is an argument that isn’t really cut and dry because Leeds’ situation was probably different to the other clubs that were relegated.
There are many that believe Marsch wasn’t the right man for the job in the first place and that he was on borrowed time long before he was eventually sacked.
That is why the decision to relieve him of his duties perhaps wasn’t the wrong decision, but the mistake was by appointing Gracia as his successor.
Brendan Rodgers and Ralph Hasenhuttl had stronger arguments to remain in their positions after they had been at Leicester City and Southampton much longer, and they had experienced relative success with players they knew inside out.
It isn’t a decision the Whites can afford to dwell on, however, as Daniel Farke is the new man in charge and he is tasked with taking the club back up to the Premier League this season.
In other Leeds United news, a journalist doesn’t believe it’s fair what’s been said about Joel Piroe.