Five players who thrived under incoming Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch

As the dust settles on Marcelo Bielsa’s departure from Leeds United, the Whites are preparing for life without the enigmatic Argentine.

The early, and strong, favourite to replace the veteran boss is Jesse Marsch, a 48-year-old American who has started to build quite a reputation in mainland Europe.

Following a lengthy stint in the MLS with New York Red Bulls, the ex-DC United midfielder has enjoyed spells with both RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig, winning two Austrian league titles and two Austrian cups along the way.

Marsch has been out of work since leaving Leipzig in December, but looks likely to return to the dugout with Leeds in the coming days.

But what can fans and players expect from the boss, should he take over at Elland Road?

We’ve taken a look back over his career to date to pick out five talents who have thrived under his management to get a better idea of his style and tactical approach ahead of his potential arrival.

Bradley Wright-Phillips

Few players have found the level of success under Marsch that Wright-Phillips did.

New York Red Bulls’ all-time leading goalscorer, and one of the most prolific finishers that the MLS has ever seen, the ex-Man City man featured in 145 of Marsch’s 151 games in charge in the Big Apple, hitting an impressive 82 goals and 23 assists.

Generally deployed as a lone frontman, Wright-Phillips thrived from having a rotating cast of creative playmakers and wide men providing him with service.

Tyler Adams

A member of the USA’s fresh crop of bright young talent, Adams made his breakthrough under Marsch in New York.

The 23-year-old midfielder is an energetic central midfielder with a keen eye for distribution and a talent for breaking up opposition attacks - in many respects, quite similar to Leeds’ own midfield general, Kalvin Phillips.

Adams was just 16 when he made his debut under Marsch, and was a regular starter in his Red Bulls’ setup by 18, suggesting that the American boss has no issue with incorporating youth into his side where appropriate.

Marsch was clearly a fan of Adams’ contributions too, so much so that he took him with him to RB Leipzig in 2019.

Patson Daka

Now a Premier League player with Leicester City, Daka really made his name under Marsch in Salzburg.

Again, a fresh young talent who came into his own under the American’s tutelage, his record of 61 goals and 24 assists in 87 matches - just shy of one goal involvement every game - was enough to convince Brendan Rodgers’ men to splash around £27 million on him last summer.

One of the hallmarks of Marsch’s tenure in Austria was the constant production line of players who he helped to establish as prodigious prospects before they moved on to illustrious challenges elsewhere, but his average of 2.18 points per game at the club would suggest that, whether through innovative coaching or effective recruitment, he never struggled to replace his brightest stars.

Another fine example of Marsch’s success with Salzburg is Brighton midfielder Enock Mwepu, who moved to the Premier League from Austria at the beginning of the season.

Erling Haaland

Marsch probably didn’t get to work with Haaland as much as he would have liked, but with 28 goals in just 22 matches, there’s no doubting that the Norwegian thrived during their brief shared spell together in Austria.

How much of that was down to the American’s coaching and how much of it was due to Haaland’s freakish, generational talent is a matter of some debate, but there’s no getting away from the fact that the coach recognised the player he had on his hands and found a way of maximising his potential.

Brenden Aaronson

The one who got away in January.

Leeds were heavily linked with Aaronson in the winter window, but just couldn’t do enough to convince Salzburg to part company with one of their star turns.

Still only 21, the USA international is a joy to watch with the ball at his feet, and became an integral part of Marsch’s side during the latter days of his tenure in Austria.

Perhaps most tellingly, however, the fact that he put such faith in a player who Leeds value so highly bodes well for the chances of him continuing to plough a similar tactical furrow to Bielsa.