Jesse Marsch is set to make his first full-fledged campaign as a manager with Leeds United and quite clearly the gaffer is up for a real test.
Terming the last season as a ‘band-aid project’, the Elland Road outfit was struggling to keep their spot in the top-flight alive. Jesse Marsch cleared his stance on the poor outings of the club and was merely able to get points on the table.
Disappointed over the performances on the pitch, the Leeds boss after a match said- “It’s been a band-aid project more than a project about style and identity.”
The club has gotten away with many games considering the mistakes which were clearly reflected on the pitch and the opponent taking advantage of it. Even more so, Leeds were banking on a few players to help them secure points on the table.
Frequently relying on winger Raphinha to score and give them the three points built a lot of pressure on the player. However, the winger managed to help the Elland Road club escape relegation from under their teeth.
Now, with the forthcoming season around the corner, fans are excited to see what holds for the club. Especially with the fact that the club managed to keep their spot in the Premier League and Marsch is set to take over his first full season with the side.
Perhaps the most significant aspect before the regular season kicks off is the pre-season. Something that many clubs take it seriously as it gives them sort of a reality check with the inclusion of new signings made in the transfer window.
Integrating them along with the rest of the squad and bringing the plans into action are all tested to a good level during this course of time. A lot of the flaws in the squad’s gameplay on the pitch that is reflected could be fixed if taken proper heed but many clubs fail to identify the issue and that percolates to the main season.
Let’s not forget that Leeds winger Raphinha is all set to leave the Elland Road outfit this summer. With Catalan giants FC Barcelona almost about to hijack the deal from Chelsea, the transfer could be official in a few days.
This would hand the Marsch-managed club a big blow as they were heavily relying on the services of the winger. Adding to that, one of their vital midfielders, Kalvin Phillips too has left the club and embarked on a new journey with Premier League champions Manchester City.
However, not all has gone wrong for the club during the transfer window this summer, Marsch has managed to make a few signings and quite interesting ones. The signings of Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, and Darko Gyabi could give the club some hopes to look forward to the coming season.
The club is set to travel down under in Australia for the pre-season and the gaffer will look to get a good hold of the squad before the regular season kicks off. Marsch will also hope to avoid the cycle of injuries endured by some of the players last season and be in good shape to compete at the highest level.
With all of this said, Marsch has some time before the main season gets underway and he needs to step up and prove as this is the beginning of a new dawn for the Elland Road club. Pre-season will need to be taken seriously to instill confidence in the fans. A serious test awaits the Leeds boss but it appears as though he could be ready to take on the fight.
