By Daniel Feliciano

3rd May, 2022 | 2:30pm

Peter Crouch backs Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch after job done so far

Peter Crouch has backed Jesse Marsch after the job he has done so far at Leeds United, despite defeat against Manchester City leaving them in big danger of relegation.

The Whites were beaten 4-0 despite a good performance at Elland Road and now sit just one point above the drop zone, having played one game more than Everton and with a worse goal difference.

But Crouch, writing in his Daily Mail column, thinks the American coach has done ‘fairly well’ since taking over and believes the Leeds squad are behind him.

“It’s always a fresh start for everyone,” he said. “The first couple of weeks everything goes up a notch or two.

“There is a clean slate across the board, even for the players who had been picked by the previous manager. Training goes up and that translates to performances.

“It doesn’t really matter who comes in at first, because standards do rise for a bit and the question is how long that can sustain itself for. It might only give you a couple of wins but those could be all you need. It’s clear why these clubs, especially at the bottom, fire and hire.

“You can tell when teams down tools and lose faith in the boss. If you’re changing a manager halfway through the season you’re usually struggling. A proper speech can have you believing in him straight away.

“I read in Sportsmail over the weekend that Jesse Marsch was applauded by the Leeds players after his first meeting with them. It must’ve been a rousing speech!

“They’ve done fairly well since, unbeaten in five games before losing against Manchester City, and the trick will be whether they can go again after a promising start. The new man does need instant rapport with his players, as time is usually of the essence.”

Unity

One of the greatest things about this season has been the unity and togetherness that the squad have shown despite horrifying results.

Since Marsch arrived at the end of February there were question marks about whether or not the team would struggle to remain as upbeat and together as they did under Marcelo Bielsa.

However if anything the squad are more united than ever before and the reaction after the final whistle on Saturday evening showed that the fans are firmly behind them too.

That unity will be key in the final five games of the season, because survival is no longer in their hands due to Everton’s game in hand. But they must be ready to respond if given the chance.

Leeds are in trouble but they have got the quality and the spirit in their squad to survive if given the opportunity to do so. Crouchy sees it, and so does everyone else.

In other Leeds news, Gary Neville shares verdict on Leeds ‘problem’, under ‘massive pressure’ after weekend results