Leeds United confirm Jesse Marsch decision after latest damaging defeat at Nottingham Forest

The club’s decision comes after another damaging defeat for the Whites away at Nottingham Forest, a result which stretched the side’s league winless run to seven games and left Marsch with two victories in his last 17 Premier League games. Marsch departs with Leeds sitting just above the relegation zone thanks to a superior goal difference over 18th-placed Everton.

Although the initial plan was for the American to succeed Marcelo Bielsa last summer, the club’s majority owner Andrea Radrizzani made the decision to sack the Argentine in February due to the growing threat of relegation. Marsch, who claimed that his first instinct was to see Bielsa continue in his post, agreed to take over mid-season and picked up four wins from the final 12 games of the season to keep Leeds in the Premier League. Their top flight status was not secured until the final day, when a win at Brentford saw them finish 17th, three points clear of Burnley.

Grumbles in the fanbase over Marsch’s style of football were put to one side and the head coach was backed with a significant recruitment drive in the summer, bringing in the likes of £25m attacker Brenden Aaronson and £20m midfielder Tyler Adams. All told the spending came to around £90m, but despite a bright start to the campaign with wins over Wolves and Chelsea and a draw at Southampton, form took a nosedive with six defeats and two draws in a run that piled pressure on Marsch. The board, though, elected to stick with him and buoyed by victories over Liverpool and Bournemouth, Marsch presided over a World Cup break training camp in Spain.

Despite the time on the training ground and a further spending spree in January that committed the club to a potential £70m outlay, results did not materialise and Leeds are now seven league games without a win.

Speaking after Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest Marsch claimed that everyone was ‘aligned’ and that belief remained in their ability to turn things around. Fans, however, disagreed. Not for the first time this season there were chants for his removal at full-time at the City Ground as patience ran out in the fan base and, evidently, in the boardroom, with Marsch’s exit confirmed on Monday afternoon.

A club statement said: “Leeds United can confirm head coach Jesse Marsch has been relieved of his duties. Jesse joined the club in February 2022 and was instrumental in keeping the club in the Premier League on the final day of last season. Rene Maric, Cameron Toshack and Pierre Barrieu will also leave the club. We would like to thank Jesse and his backroom staff for their efforts and wish them well for the future.

“The process of appointing a new head coach is underway and we will continue to keep supporters up to date throughout the coming days.”

He leaves Elland Road with 11 wins from his 37 games in charge, 343 days after his appointment. Leeds travel to Old Trafford to take on third-placed Manchester United on Wednesday, before hosting the same opposition at Elland Road on Sunday. After that come two crucial games at the foot of the table against Everton, who have recently installed Sean Dyche as manager in an attempt to stay up, and Southampton.