Leeds United press conference: Every word Michael Skubala said on Jesse Marsch, Man Utd and injuries

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of Leeds United’s pre-Man Utd press conference.

Michael Skubala is the interim man in charge of the Whites, and he will be facing the media this afternoon, at noon, to be specific.

Michael Skubala is the longest-serving member of the coaching trio that will prepare the team for Wednesday night’s visit to Old Trafford. The Under-21s head coach has been with the club since last summer and currently works with the development squad in Premier League 2 Division 2. Skubala stood in for Mark Jackson during a number of first-team games, following his departure in December, taking his position on the bench alongside Marsch before Chris Armas’ recent appointment.

Assistant head coach Armas has elected to remain at Leeds having only arrived at the club two weeks ago. The American is a former teammate, assistant and close confidante of Marsch’s but has sought to stay at Elland Road despite the 49-year-old’s departure on Monday afternoon.

Francisco ‘Paco’ Gallardo is a former Sevilla player and youth team coach who has taken charge of the juvenile setup at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, as well as the Andalusian club’s ‘C’ and ‘B’ teams before joining Leeds United late last year.

Here is the updated list of favourites for the Leeds United job.

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Skubala has plenty to discuss today. Here are some of the possible topics.

Just a reminder that today’s press conference kicks off at noon. We’re 15 minutes away from Skubala taking the mic.

Alrighty, let’s get this show on the road.

Stay tuned for live updates. Skubala is now in the room, and we’re kicking off today’s press conference.

MS: “Last 24 hours, Victor and Angus came up to me to tell me they had removed Jesse. It was a discussion that had to take place, and then they spoke to me and staff members to figure out how to get through this period.”

MS: “It’s a collective approach. We will pick the team together, as any modern team does. We will work hard to make sure we have a strong team to push Man Utd.

“I would say it’s an exciting prospect. It’s Manchester United and it’s an exciting prospect. We will do the best job we can do. it’s not daunting but exciting, I would say.”

MS: “Jesse was a good guy, and the team was working hard for Jesse. But they are used to changes as professional athletes. the mood is...I wouldn’t say down, but they are okay. We have to focus on getting points against Manchester United.”

MS: “Chris (Armas) came in with Jesse a couple of weeks ago. He is still getting to know the club and the players, but he has Premier League experience before. Paco Gallardo worked with me as a development coach with the under-21s, and he has plenty of experience in Span and in Italy.”

MS: “I spoke to Jesse before he left. He spoke to all the staff before he left. It was good, and managers go through these situations.”

MS: “There’s no point throwing the baby out of the bath water. There will be a couple of tweaks, which you might see, but we have to make sure the players are ready to play Manchester United. We can’t be passive, but we also need to be pragmatic in that we are playing an in-form team at Old Trafford.

“We will set up a team that is competitive without the ball. We will be competitive without the ball, and we will set up a team that will test them, and they will do the same.

“We have been really good without the ball. We have been on the front foot and aggressive. That’s a positive thing that we can’t change at the moment.”

MS: “The usual longer-term injuries, I think you know about. That hasn’t changed. We have some bumps and bruises, but I don’t want to give anything away before we do training.”

MS: “This is a temporary situation. I’m happy to support the club while they find a coach, and I will go back to my role once this is done.

“They are working really hard behind the scenes to find a solution. I’m busy preparing the team.”

MS: “It’s every coach’s dream to lead a team at Old Trafford. I’m lucky enough to be trusted by the board, and it’ very exciting.”

Here is the full story from Michael Skubala’s injury update.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

MS: “The situation is very hard for the club and Jesse. Jesse tried to build a team and a way of playing. Ultimately, the board decided he wasn’t getting enough points, and it’s a points-based industry.”

MS: “I worked for Gareth Southgate, yeah. I’ve had loads of good messages from lots of friends who have offered advice. Along my journeys across the last 25 years of coaching, I have built up lots of relationships. Gareth is busy enough.”