Leeds United writing on the wall and a 'dangerous' norm as club hero advises boardroom patience

The sacking of Jesse Marsch was only a little surprising because the writing has been on the wall and unfortunately it felt like we had come to a point where something had to change.

At Nottingham Forest we played really well and got nothing out of the game and that had to stop. The record in the Premier League has been shocking recently, so although the surprise came in the timing of it all, the club acted swiftly and are already working on a replacement.

Football is harsh for managers yet for all the good guy, bad guy, play well, don't play well type criticism, all that can be put aside because it's all about gathering points. The bottom line is that after the first three games brought seven points we really have struggled. I think the frustrating thing for Jesse is that in parts and in moments, we played well. We looked like we should have got more and the problem is that it became the norm. That's dangerous. That's not where you want to be. You want to be nicking points here and there by not playing well, but we were having to play extremely well before we could get any points. These are big problems and that's what was happening.

I think the Forest game was one of those where we wanted to see something different. It was a huge game and we went into it with a bit of momentum from the FA Cup but we had to get a result. All we saw was more of the same, playing well in the first half without scoring. They hit the target twice to score once and then we couldn't break them down and it all went quite wrong. It was disappointing. Jesse Marsch put his heart and soul into it, clearly an honest guy and everyone wanted him to do well but this was just how it went.

There's no doubt they've backed the manager, given him the tools he wanted, invested in players and there aren't really any excuses to turn to. The club did back him and that's what every manager wants. It's right to do that. How long you wait for results before taking action is the question but there is of course a big chunk of the season so there's plenty of time to get ourselves out of this mess. You can see why they acted when they did and as they work on an appointment, it has to be the right one this time around.

To be fair to Jesse he came in last season, slightly later, but in a similar situation and did the job to keep us up, so for that we'll be forever grateful. However, we thought we wouldn't be in this position again, not with the money invested, and yet here we are. It's really important we get the right one in. I wouldn't mind waiting an extra game or two to make sure it's spot on. It will be difficult, because people are in jobs but there will be lots of stuff going on behind the scenes and no doubt Victor Orta has plans and ideas in place already that they will try and action.

As for the players and their mood right now - what I've always said about this group and then of course the people they've added to it, is that they're the right sort of characters. They're a good bunch who will give absolutely everything, but it becomes more and more difficult to do that when you're not getting the points at the end of the game. That's what it's all about, that result. Yes, they'll keep going and going but it was clearly that much more difficult. Players are professional, this happens. God knows how many managers I had, 15 or 20 or so. You got to get on with it. They're professionals, they have a job to do and we often see a new manager bounce because it's an opportunity for everyone for a fresh start, it's an opportunity for other players who might not have been in favour to get back in. What is important I think is that the whole group just gets together and goes out there and does the best job they can, so with different ideas, different tactics and what have you, maybe that will spark different results.

For the caretaker trio at Old Trafford it will be all about keeping the group together, getting out there to put on a show and be really professional. There will be a few tweaks here and there but nothing major in terms of tactical differences, so the players will have to give everything. That's all they can do at this point in time. Things will change in the next few days and weeks, lots will happen when the replacement arrives. Until then it's down to everyone involved to do their best in a short period.