Jesse Marsch press conference RECAP: Leeds United boss offers Bamford verdict

Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch hosted his final pre-match press conference of the season at Thorp Arch ahead of the trip to Brentford
WATCH: Time is running out for Leeds to save themselves from relegation (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)WATCH: Time is running out for Leeds to save themselves from relegation (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
WATCH: Time is running out for Leeds to save themselves from relegation (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Leeds United's last fixture of the season will prove their most crucial as Premier League survival is decided over the course of 90 minutes on Sunday.

United are in the relegation zone after 37 matches played and will be relegated to the Championship if they fall to defeat against Brentford.

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Chances of survival swung in Burnley's favour on Thursday night as the Clarets picked up a point away to Aston Villa, while Everton completed a comeback against Crystal Palace to mathematically secure their safety.

Heading into the final round of fixtures, Leeds and Burnley are engaged in a straight shoot-out for survival.

Both sides sit on 35 points, however the Lancashire club boast a much better goal difference than the Whites, meaning Burnley need only match Leeds' result in west London.

The objective is clear for Leeds: win and hope Burnley falter at home to Newcastle United.

Jesse Marsch spoke to the media this afternoon ahead of his side's final game of the season.

Live updates to follow here.

Jesse Marsch press conference RECAP: Leeds United boss offers Bamford verdict

Marsch over and out

That’s all from the head coach. Stick around for a full transcript later this afternoon.

Marsch on players moving on

I haven’t gone through player by player exactly what the consequences could be but I’m very aware, the best chance for us to keep the core of the group together is to stay in the league. I would hate to see some of the guys go. I’ve made a real connection and there’s big potential of what we could become. That’s a big part of my personal motivation, to continue my relationships here.

Marsch on recent pitch invasions

You want to see passion from the fans but respect for the game and the players and teams. Some of these scenes are tough to watch, but I don’t need reminders of how important this game is. Our fanbase has been amazing throughout the process.

Marsch on the squad

The motivation here is never a question mark, the work ethic and the commitment. It’s my job to guide their efforts to be successful as a group. My behaviour and my belief and exuding that in everything I say and do, making sure the clarity of the matchplan, how to handle different moments in the match. We’re bringing Adam, we’re bringing Stuart, we’re bringing Luke, we’re bringing Dan.

Marsch on staying beyond the end of the season

When we talked about coming this was about a long-term project and I’m thankful the club committed to me in that way. We never know what the future might hold. The support I’ve had from everyone is amazing, but again in this moment I’m not thinking about the long-term project, I’m thinking about Sunday.

Marsch on Eddie Gray’s visit to the training ground

We talked everything about what this club is to the community, what it’s like to represent Leeds United, to his nephews and sons and his connection to what this club is, to the future of the club. What an incredible man he is, and that at his age he can still go jogging 3-4 times a week, he’s a machine. It was great to have him here.

Marsch on what Bamford needs to do to prove fitness

At the moment I don’t believe we would be [risking him] and then could just have one more meeting tomorrow with Patrick, what the loads have been, how he feels and then do a final assessment: is he available, how many minutes, what’s the best strategy?

I try not to be a result-based manager but I’ve had 12 weeks where that’s been really hard to manage but the message is we’ve had a lot of experiences in a short period of time. We’ve modified a lot of things, from the way we play to routines. This final matchday has to be a representation of everything we’ve been through.

Marsch on the task ahead

I know how to stay focused on us but to also make sure we communicate the correct information at the right time. Everybody in the staff has some football experience for sure. The weirdest thing for me, we had to watch a matchday last night which was incongruent with the rest of the schedule, that was unusual.

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