Jesse Marsch addresses Bielsa chants as head coach admits Leeds United dissent impacts players

Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch insists he is ‘okay’ with United supporters chanting previous manager Marcelo Bielsa’s name.

In response to barbed chants from the away section at the King Power Stadium on Thursday night, the American said he understood Bielsa’s status as a legend at Leeds United, and that he had no issue with the club’s supporters voicing their appreciation for his predecessor.

"The only one [chant] I really heard that was bad – or that was for Marcelo Bielsa – I'm okay with that, I'm okay with the fact that Marcelo is a club legend,” Marsch insisted. “I would hope that they've [the fans] seen that there's been a lot of work done and we've worked really hard to, as a club, as a group, as a team, to save our season last year and we're going to do the same again.

"We're going to do whatever we can together to find a way to be successful,” the American replied, addressing the away fans’ decision to chant the Argentine’s name. Bielsa’s tenure as Leeds boss came to an end in February after a winless run stretching six games with the team in freefall. Marsch currently finds himself on a seven-match stretch without victory and will come under further scrutiny from the club’s supporters if the team do not beat Fulham this weekend at Elland Road.

Asked whether dissent from a vocal away end affected his Leeds United players at Leicester, Marsch admitted: “Yeah, I think it does impact the players. If it's fair or not, it doesn't really matter. They can express their opinion however they want.”

Leeds’ board are not expected to follow Aston Villa’s lead in relieving their head coach of his duties following Thursday night’s Premier League action, but the outcome of Sunday’s game and the temperature within the club’s fanbase if United go eight without a win, could ultimately change the managerial landscape.