Leeds United injury data proves Jesse Marsch correct about Marcelo Bielsa
Injuries have played a major part in the struggles of Leeds United this season but Jesse Marsch appears to have steadied the ship at Elland Road.
The American manager came in to replace Marcelo Bielsa at Thorp Arch and didn’t hold back on the Argentine’s training methods on talkSPORT, claiming the “players were overtrained,” as quoted by The Athletic.
That same report from The Athletic has picked apart how much of the season players at each Premier League club has missed through injuries this season and it makes for extraordinary reading.
Their data suggests that Leeds United players have missed a huge 1,284 minutes of Premier League football this season with only Everton getting remotely close to that number.
A grand total of 31 injuries this season is not something any team can continue at their best with but they also claim that 47% of these were down to the overworking of the players under Bielsa’s regime.
Comparatively, Crystal Palace players have missed just 401 minutes of Premier League football all season which shows the magnitude of the issue at LS11.
Obvious
Bielsa’s methods had worked wonders in the Championship and helped the Whites to a top-half finish upon their return to the top flight.
But there was a huge element of luck that an injury crisis like this season hadn’t happened earlier and he ultimately paid the price for running his players into the ground the way he did.
As much as Leeds fans love Bielsa, and always will, Marsch is right when he says he worked the payers too hard in training and he’s been left to try and patch up the battered and bruised players at Thorp Arch.
Things are starting to ease with the 33-year-old’s less intensive methods and maybe he could have a mostly fully-fit squad to choose from come the end of the season.
They have a big break before they take on Crystal Palace on 25 April which will allow everyone at the club a much-needed rest before the final push to the end of the season.
In other Leeds United news, these two Whites loanees have to be sold in the summer after failing away from LS11.