Jesse Marsch sends message to Leeds United fans over Marcelo Bielsa bond and makes Whites vow

Jesse Marsch admits he has plenty to prove to Leeds United's supporters but is confident of building an "incredibly passionate relationship" with the Whites fan base.
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Former RB Leipzig boss Marsch was confirmed as United's new head coach on Monday evening, the American appointed less than 36 hours after United had announced the sacking of promotion-winning boss Marcelo Bielsa.

Bielsa ended the club's 16-year exile from the country's top flight by steering United to promotion as Championship champions in 2020 and then guided the Whites to a superb ninth-placed finish upon their Premier League return.

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Leeds, though, are just two points clear of the drop zone with 12 games left of the current campaign and United acted to sack the Argentine coach after Saturday's 4-0 loss at home to Tottenham which marked a fourth-straight defeat and sixth game without a win.

PASSION: From Jesse Marsch, above, after the Bundesliga clash between his RB Leipzig side and hosts FC Cologne back in September 2021. Photo by UWE KRAFT/AFP via Getty Images.PASSION: From Jesse Marsch, above, after the Bundesliga clash between his RB Leipzig side and hosts FC Cologne back in September 2021. Photo by UWE KRAFT/AFP via Getty Images.
PASSION: From Jesse Marsch, above, after the Bundesliga clash between his RB Leipzig side and hosts FC Cologne back in September 2021. Photo by UWE KRAFT/AFP via Getty Images.

Bielsa's sacking has still been deeply mourned by the Whites fanbase and former Montreal Impact, New York Red Bulls, RB Salzburg and Leipzig boss Marsch says he is fully aware that he is now following a club managerial legend upon his first job in English football.

Marsch, though, when asked for a message for United's supporters, has highlighted how his teams play with passion, heart and intelligence and stated the case for being optimistic in building his own strong relationship with United's fans.

Asked if he had a message to the club's supporters who had such a strong connection with Bielsa, Marsch told LUTV: "First for me, that's nothing new.

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"I think almost every job I have had I have followed a club legend.

"There's massive challenges to that.

"I have a lot to prove to our fanbase, that I am the right guy to follow such a hero like Marcelo Bielsa.

"But I think the key is that when they see the team play and if the team plays with passion and they play with heart and they give everything they have and they show that they are also intelligent and clear with the playing model and they are aggressive, then I think normally the fans will tolerate the coach, even if they don't like his accent or if he is not as popular as the previous coach.

"Over time I have found that I have always had an incredibly passionate and well connected relationship with the fan bases everywhere I have gone.

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"Football culture for me is the best part of being a manager.

"It's working with the team and trying to get the team to represent everything that you know that they can be and you want them to be and then what that means to be a club and perform for your fans and now have a strong identity with what the community is.

"I will work towards that every day and I know that our players have already shown that in spades so it will be fun.

"It will be difficult and there will be a lot to manage but I know we will have fun."

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