What Leeds United will get from Jesse Marsch after Marcelo Bielsa's sad exit - David Prutton

But it was tinged with an air of inevitability given performances.

No matter how beloved, successful and respected a coach like Bielsa can be, they are always at the mercy of not just performances, but more importantly, results and that’s the same for any manager across world football.

Given how long it has taken Leeds to get back into the Premier League, the fear of slipping out after just two seasons overrules meaning it was probably a case of head overruling the heart for the people that made the decision.

There has been a lot said about Bielsa over the last week or so and there has been a lot said about him over the last six months given the way the form of the team has fluctuated.

Having seen it all relatively first hand, he has been nothing short of magnificent, inspiring a group of players that believe they are better than what they are to prove they are better than what they previously thought they were and to become Premier League footballers.

But from what I have seen and what I have heard from Leeds United fans, he has also taken them out of the doldrums and, when I describe the doldrums, I say it with a smile on my face because I was part of the doldrums in League One and the old third division.

I absolutely respect what Leeds fans are saying that Marcelo gave them back a sense of purpose, a sense of belief, a team to be entertained by and rightly proud of. It’s a wonderful thing.

There have been cynics because football is all about opinions now and I have been part of what you would class as the media which looks at football and breaks it down and passes judgement.

But the cynics who don’t get it with Bielsa don’t need to get it. It matters not what supporters of other clubs might think. This is solely the property of a Leeds United fan and Marcelo has created something that I can’t recall from living memory.

I knew the Howard Wilkinson side and the David O’Leary side, I had obviously heard all about the Don Revie side and I had a foot in the door at the club in a very tumultuous time.

But Bielsa has created something there that will last in Leeds fans’ hearts and minds forever which is an unbelievable job and he has done it his way.

The finger might be pointed that he did it his way stubbornly in that he did it his way right until the very end but there’s part of you that respects him even more for that. He wasn’t changing for anyone!

In life there’s a need to be malleable and a need to be able to see all sides.

But there is a respect for a man of his career experience and life experience that says, ‘nope, this is the way I do it and if you don’t like it you can change’ and that’s what he did.

It’s sad to see him go but in the weeks, months and years to come I just hope that fondness for a man that was a true one-off, a true glorious eccentric gets deeper and broader and more beloved.

Jesse Marsch is now the new man at the helm and I always thought he had a very good New York Red Bulls side. That team that he set up was very energetic.

It had a nice balance of what we then possibly saw at the clubs he went to next with regards to pressing and getting the ball back as high up the pitch as possible, just to try and create goal-scoring opportunities.

The experience that he will have had in going from Salzburg to Leipzig should hopefully stand him in good stead to come into a very brutal league which has a lot of preconceptions.

He has got a reference or caricature of an American football coach which just goes to show the cultural differences but he has lots of ideas and he comes across very well indeed.

He is a bright fella and a highly educated man.

You don’t come out of Princeton if you are an idiot.

He hasn’t had the chance yet to cut it in English football but we should have respect for educated men and what comes with being an educated man, being able to learn and being able to achieve, a certification and moving through educational systems.

That smacks to me of a man who is willing to learn, relearn, unlearn, push himself in the right direction and is inquisitive about what is in front of him but also what he can get out of himself and his players.

You have got to give him a chance and wait until you see what you see on the pitch – but results will be absolutely paramount.

When Marcelo’s side were at their absolute best they were a living and breathing relentless organism that filled you with euphoria, joy and entertainment.

But any team that defends like that regardless of who they are playing in the Premier League and approached it in the same way against the very best teams is a bit naive.

I have always said that Leeds’ first choice full strength XI can compete in the Premier League but you’ve got to have at least 10 of those players having a 10 out of 10 game to compete with your Manchester Citys and Liverpools.

Jesse has got to get them back to that and he’s also got to get them less open at the back.

By design, by not having the right players in the right place and by not having their first-choice players, they have been hanging themselves out to dry which is no good for anybody.

Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. You'll enjoy unlimited access to the latest on Leeds United and Leeds Rhinos. With our sports digital subscription, you'll also see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get exclusive content. Click HERE to subscribe.