Liam Thomas

Mon 6 February 2023 11:10, UK

The Leeds United squad have been given some Netflix homework by Jesse Marsch with the American wanting his side to watch episodes of The Redeem Team, according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

Episodes follow the cream of the crop from the NBA in the Olympics as they battle to make amends for crashing out of the 2004 Athens games.

Hay confessed that Marsch craves vindication as much as any of his squad and this is where Netflix documentaries may come into play, as he skates on thin ice with regards to his own job.

“Homework for Leeds United’s players, on the instructions of Jesse Marsch, has been watching episodes of The Redeem Team, the Netflix documentary about U.S. basketball and the summer Olympics of 2008,” as quoted by The Athletic. (6 February)

“The basic plot of The Redeem Team is as the blurb suggests: the cream of the NBA making amends for 2004 when the U.S. lost to Argentina and flew home with bronze medals, not even able to say that second was the equivalent of last. A harsh moment of reckoning led to normal service resuming and gold has been theirs ever since.

“Stories like those can transcend the sport they come from, which is why Marsch’s predecessor, Marcelo Bielsa, made the squad at Leeds read about the New Zealand rugby union team, the All Blacks. Some of Leeds’ players have last season to redeem, the joust with relegation that tested everyone’s constitution.

“Others who were not here then, but have entered the building since are trying to find the cure to a very mediocre first half of this season. Marsch, the man at the top, craves vindication as badly as any of them. Perhaps that is where Netflix comes in.”

Sleepwalking.

Are Leeds United currently sleepwalking towards relegation? Marsch’s recent woeful record would suggest so and it’s hard to be positive about the American’s leadership right now.

Marsch has been backed to the fullest in the January window with the club bringing in some top-class talents to help his fight for Premier League survival.

And whilst some may argue that they need time to settle into the squad, how long can the club wait until things become irreversibly bad?

Fans have all but turned on the American now as a chorus of boos and Marsch has got to go chants echoed around the City Ground on Sunday afternoon.

Marsch will likely have the two upcoming games against Manchester United to decide his fate, two games that could easily be lost.

Tough decisions need to be made at Leeds United in the coming weeks and all signs are pointing towards a Marsch exit at this point in time.

In other Leeds United news, visit our live transfer blog for around-the-clock updates straight from Elland Road.