Big Leeds United questions facing Jesse Marsch in first press conference

The American has spent some time working with the players at Thorp Arch this week alongside a small number of staff who have arrived with him and some of those who have remained as pre-Marcelo Bielsa appointees.

There's plenty on the agenda for Marsch's first encounter with the local and national media, not least the size of the task ahead of him and exactly how he's going to tackle it.

Time

1pm

Place

Thorp Arch, in person no less.

The Agenda

There's no escaping team news. Marsch will be expected to give an update on Patrick Bamford, Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper. Fans will be keen to get a glimpse into Marsch's approach to such information, given how scarce Bielsa could be with details around injuries and their timeframes.

The defence and how Marsch plans to structure it in order to stem the costly leaking of goals is likely to come up, as well as general questions around his style, the lack of time in which to implement it and the suitability of the players he has inherited for what he plans to do.

Marsch will be expected to give more clarity around the identity of his staff and the thinking behind their appointments. Will there be a reshuffle in the summer or more arrivals once the season is done and Leeds know their plight?

Other questions fans will be seeking answers to include: Will the club's destination for the 2022/23 season decide Marsch's future? How has he ingratiated himself with uncertain fanbases in the past? What formation is he going to use to get the best out of this squad?

Expect to hear

Respect for Marcelo Bielsa and what he achieved at Leeds. Enthusiasm. Positivity about the players' initial responses to his early training sessions. Taking things day by day. Focusing on the next game.

Don't expect to hear

Brash statements. There's a new sheriff in town. Definitive declarations on his or individual players' futures.

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