Bright Leeds United start for Jesse Marsch but key issue must be resolved fast

Leeds United should have won Jesse Marsch’s first game in charge at Leicester City on Saturday for which the stats tell their own tale.
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Nineteen attempts at goal compared to just four from the Foxes but less than a quarter of United’s testing goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

In the end, only one stat matters, the result, but the message afterwards from Marsch was clear.

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“If we keep playing like this we’re going to get all the points we need.”

ENCOURAGEMENT: From new Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch, pictured consoling Joe Gelhardt after Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Leicester City as Patrick Bamford, left, and Mateusz Klich, right, look on. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.ENCOURAGEMENT: From new Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch, pictured consoling Joe Gelhardt after Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Leicester City as Patrick Bamford, left, and Mateusz Klich, right, look on. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.
ENCOURAGEMENT: From new Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch, pictured consoling Joe Gelhardt after Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Leicester City as Patrick Bamford, left, and Mateusz Klich, right, look on. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.

To a degree, much depends on what the others do - Burnley and Everton mainly - but Marsch is probably right.

Yet Leeds will only get those points if they take their chances which is the clear concern from an otherwise impressive start for United’s new head coach, even in defeat.

Marsch had said all week that there would be a lot of similarities between his playing style and Marcelo Bielsa’s, one big difference being zonal or ball-orientated marking as opposed to man to man.

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That was abundantly clear at the King Power, and, on this occasion at least, the Whites looked all the better for it.

Marsch lined up Leeds with a 4-2-2-2/4-2-3-1 system in which Mateusz Klich and Robin Koch were perhaps the surprise picks to play in front of the back four.

Surprising because Klich has often thrived when playing further forward and because Koch had looked likely to play at centre-back in the event that Diego Llorente would have to miss out through injury, as proved the case.

That always looked likely after Marsch revealed that the defender had been forced to sit out training on Thursday yet the new boss opted to play Koch as part of what could be called a double midfield pivot as Luke Ayling instead lined up at centre-back next to Pascal Struijk.

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Ayling is more naturally recognised as a right back and the man that instead lined up n the right side of defence in Stuart Dallas has often been best in midfield though you can essentially play the supremely versatile Dallas anywhere you like.

As it happened, the Northern Ireland international had a tough afternoon against the classy and pacy Harvey Barnes but Barnes would have likely troubled even the most natural and best of right backs.

Even so, it was disappointing how easily Leeds were carved apart by a neat yet simple one-two between Barnes and Kelechi Iheanacho in the 67th minute for the only goal of the game.

Wilfred Ndidi should have put the Foxes 1-0 up earlier, towards the end of the first half, when granted a free header from a corner which he placed straight at Illan Meslier and work is clearly still needed at set-pieces.

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But, whilst the pace of Barnes and Jamie Vardy over the top and around the back carried a threat, Marsch’s Whites essentially looked pretty solid at the King Power whilst also managing to create a host of openings at the other end.

Not a single one of those chances was taken and Leeds have been here before, under Bielsa when it comes to wastefulness in front of goal.

Yet, this time, it is more important than ever that United take their opportunities as it could be the difference between Premier League and Championship football next term.

Leeds have now gone 306 minutes without scoring a goal, Raphinha the last player to hit the net when drawing Bielsa's Whites level at 2-2 at home to Manchester United only for that game to end in a 4-2 reverse, after which a 6-0 hammering at Liverpool and 4-0 defeat at home to Tottenham followed.

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Bielsa then found himself dismissed and new boss Marsch is clearly keen to make United harder to break down.

In front of the base of United’s back line and two-man central midfield, Marsch went with the same front four that Bielsa usually picked of Raphinha on the right and Jack Harrison on the left, behind a front two of Rodrigo and Dan James.

But the Whites’ bench was also highly significant at Leicester as United No 9 Patrick Bamford finally returned to the matchday squad following his recent succession of injuries, Marsch opting not to use the England international and revealing that Bamford was only fit enough to play 10 minutes if required.

On Saturday’s evidence, it appears the Marsch way is for his front quartet to all race forward at a rate of knots when United break whilst also looking to press the back line whenever possible but not at the expense of leaving huge gaps.

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When there are gaps, the two centre midfielders and, in Saturday’s case, Robin Koch and Mateusz Klich are there to cover. Essentially, it worked which may appear an odd thing to suggest in defeat.

But the Whites had enough chances to net a good handful of goals, Raphinha missing probably the best of them when allowing Schmeichel to save his effort from just three yards out as he looked to tuck home a Junior Firpo cross.

Schmeichel also produced particularly good saves to deny Harrison and Rodrigo who Marsch felt should have had a penalty after being kicked by Caglar Soyuncu in the box.

Even the introduction of exciting teen Joe Gelhardt from the bench failed to produce a breakthrough although Gelhardt once again made an immediate impact and almost scored within moments of coming on.

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Gelhardt replaced Rodrigo as United’s first change but then moved out to the left as Tyler Roberts came on for Harrison and moved up front with 14 minutes left.

Minutes later Roberts found himself injured and trying to hobble on with Marsch having used all three subs, Adam Forshaw on earlier for Klich.

By then, Leeds should have been out of sight. Instead, they were 1-0 down and be it Bamford, Gelhardt, James or whoever, the Whites simply must hit the goals trail over these final 11 games,

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