Why did Marsch fail? And what is his legacy?

[Mountain]

Obviously a lot has been said about why Bielsa failed, generally centred on the combination of a small squad and injuries to key players. And his legacy - promotion, style of play, his personality, his relationship with players and fans, has been assessed again and again.

So why did Marsch fail? Were his tactics completely unworkable? Or more a case of unworkable by this group of players? Would holding on to Phillips and Raphinha have changed anything or was their loss negligible? Is there anything he could have changed to succeed, or was it a systemic failure? Is there a signing that could have saved it?

And what is his legacy? Will he be remembered well, like his predecessor, or is he down there with the slew of Cellini-esque appointments? Do you see him going on to succeed at another club or will he fall down the order? Is his reputation badly damaged or will not leading the club to relegation (if that happens) save him and keep him employable?

[andrewjohnsmith]

He saved us from relegation. I'm pretty confident most coaches could have done that. But Jesse was our manager and we didn't get relegated

As for the failure ...

Inability to adapt tactics to match situations. His system didn't work. That's fine. But he failed to figure out a system that did.

[VinnysTattoo]

Tactically poor with a system that was far too easily beaten.

Legacy? Not one I will remember with any fondness. I suppose he kept us up but that was primarily down to the Geordies.

In his favour I think below all his bluster he seemed to get us as a club and he showed some passion.

Poor choice overall.

[BreakingTheDuck]

Cashing in on Phillips and Ralphinha was the right move, since it financed the Summer transfers 100%.

XG wise , his team was break even. However I think it is quite possible that his system was poor versus a bunkered in opponent holding a lead. His team needed to develop a second gear vs teams that slow down play like NF did in 2nd half.

Or perhaps he just needs a good witch doctor. Lucky he wasn’t.

[Mountain]

I feel a little bit sorry for him. This was possibly his biggest chance, and he must feel like he blew it. And he wasn't a million miles off it, a win yesterday would have surely given him the breathing space of a few weeks to enable the new signings settle in.

I hope he does well in his next job. While he was an awful eejit, I'd much prefer him to some former managers like Venables, Warnock and Evans. There would be an irony if Bielsa gets the US job and he misses out.

[Mountain]

Or perhaps he just needs a good witch doctor. Lucky he wasn’t.

He had more luck in the final months of last season than some managers have in a lifetime. Maybe he used it all up...

[Victor_Notts-17]

Because he was a loon! No plan A that worked for more than 3 games and no plan other than plan A. Disaster of a recruitment and this is from a guy that supported his apointment initially. I was way wrong and I'm glad to admit it. He should have gone before Christmas...

[Irish Ian]

Legacy?

Tuesday night away at Preston this time next year.

Where did he fail?

He failed to win me over with his rhetoric which scared me from the beginning. Came into the club on the back of a failure in Germany talking like he knew what he was doing then backed it up with chaotic decisions and behaviour. Recall home to Citeh last season.
Celebrated the loss at home like a loon.

Of course all the tripe gets overlooked if there was an attractive brand of football on show and we give teams a good seeing to, but there never was anything of substance.

Congestion football - even summed up with TWO players on the touchline on throw ins on Sunday in the second half. Lose the ball to win it back bollocks and our landmark signing Aaronson either kicking the ball forward aimlessly or falling over.

I could go on but my final thought for now on legacy.

Not one player I can think of improved under him. Rod found his shooting boots ( arguable if he improved as a footballer though) but balance that with stasis elsewhere and backwards steps in at least Meslier and Struijk.

[DDB220]

His legacy will be the likes of Ayling been able to quote a number of philosophers.

[lufc1304]

Because his system was too easily countered and ineffective for the PL, his only success was at a club where they were by far the strongest side in that league. No plan other than chaos-ball was never going to work. Nice guy but tactically limited. His legacy is the strongest squad we have had for years outside the relegation spots on GD alone.

[SaraM]

Systemic failure from day one, and never up to the tactical or coaching requirements at this level. A total misfit personally and culturally.

His legacy is the eradication of all the good things achieved by his predecessor. A massive step backwards, which we will now be fortunate to recover from.

Also set back his own career, and served to highlight how the American approach to 'soccer' is on a different page, and a different level, to the rest of the footballing world.

[Mountain]

His legacy is the eradication of all the good things achieved by his predecessor. A massive step backwards, which we will now be fortunate to recover from.

That is a good point. I don't know if it's entirely his fault or circumstances, but after a few years of looking at football in a new way, a lot of Leeds fans have fallen back to embracing "it's all about results", "X can't play at this level, buy Y, if Y fails buy Z" thinking.

[SaraM]

That is a good point. I don't know if it's entirely his fault or circumstances, but after a few years of looking at football in a new way, a lot of Leeds fans have fallen back to embracing "it's all about results", "X can't play at this level, buy Y, if Y fails buy Z" thinking.

Yes, absolutely, it's a cultural (by which I mean a way of thinking) devastation as much as a footballing one.

[Leeds1000]

Poor poor choice in hindsight, its very difficult to see why he was chosen. I didn't know anything about him initially and i still couldn't tell you a great deal about his football style 11+ months on. Was Chelski just lucky along with the Arsenal performance. Why couldn't we replicate that performance on a regular basis. It seemingly took Corberan days to get his message accross to the WB players why did it take JM a year and he still didn't think they understood his methods? Baffling! I think the players just ended up doing their own thing out on the pitch in the end.

I feel like i have been cheated somewhat. I said it the other day. The constant drip drip of we are getting there, the players are starting to take things on board ect ect clouded my judgement for too long. He was never upto the job!

[Kennyb41]

Systemic failure from day one, and never up to the tactical or coaching requirements at this level. A total misfit personally and culturally.

His legacy is the eradication of all the good things achieved by his predecessor. A massive step backwards, which we will now be fortunate to recover from.

Also set back his own career, and served to highlight how the American approach to 'soccer' is on a different page, and a different level, to the rest of the footballing world.

In a nutshell again ^

And ...'lose the ball to win it back again bollocks'.........wtf is all that about ? Coz that's what it was.

[Kennyb41]

Poor poor choice in hindsight, its very difficult to see why he was chosen. I didn't know anything about him initially and i still couldn't tell you a great deal about his football style 11+ months on. Was Chelski just lucky along with the Arsenal performance. Why couldn't we replicate that performance on a regular basis. It seemingly took Corberan days to get his message accross to the WB players why did it take JM a year and he still didn't think they understood his methods? Baffling! I think the players just ended up doing their own thing out on the pitch in the end.

I feel like i have been cheated somewhat. I said it the other day. The constant drip drip of we are getting there, the players are starting to take things on board ect ect clouded my judgement for too long. He was never upto the job!

Only our chief Goon knows that, but we're in safe hands with clown steering our ship

[Kennyb41]

That is a good point. I don't know if it's entirely his fault or circumstances, but after a few years of looking at football in a new way, a lot of Leeds fans have fallen back to embracing "it's all about results", "X can't play at this level, buy Y, if Y fails buy Z" thinking.

Hey don't forget the stats !

Stats stats stats these days, not open thine eyes and see for yourself what a genius can achieve with trash, some people need stats.

Whatever they are, what about this stat, how many managers can Leeds go through again before they find a genius coach whilst a clown rocks back in his chair and lights up another cigar huh ?

And we're off on the Leeds United manager go round !

[Clacton White]

His tactics weren't working.....poor record from the start really and made to look better by a last day relegation escape.The squad overall has improved over two windows , though the current it's too soon to judge the real results .Marsch failed based on results .....whether the players didn't get his tactics or those tactics aren't realistic for the PL with better coaches , who knows , but basically it's about results .

[Ratscoot]

He failed because he technically wasn't a good enough manager, I don't doubt he had skills on the man-management side but when it came to the actual football he didn't have a clue

[theBlingGoblin]

If things turn around, his legacy may be the product of the recent transfer windows.