Leeds United are reportedly eyeing up three candidates to replace Marcelo Bielsa, should he leave in the summer…
What’s the word?
That’s according to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, who claims that Jesse Marsch, Ernesto Valverde and former Whites assistant Carlos Corberan are among the candidates.
The Argentine has five months left on his current contract at Elland Road and the club are hoping that he stays for his fifth season at the helm.
However, should they need to seek a replacement, Victor Orta and co will be well prepared. All three names have similarities to the 66-year-0ld.
Dream Bielsa replacement
From that list, Marsch is potentially the dream candidate to take over the reins.
Of course, a lot depends on whether or not Bielsa walks away at the end of this contract, but the former RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig boss is the perfect fit.
The 48-year-old has developed a very similar style to Bielsa over the last few years – a quick-tempo, high-pressing system saw him win the Austrian Bundesliga twice.
It’s a very smart decision from the club to be looking at alternatives at this stage as there is no knowing if the ex-Marseille boss will sign fresh terms once again – and we won’t find out until the summer anyway.
That’s just how he has done things at the Whites.
Marsch has lost just 17 of his 94 matches as Salzburg manager; an impressive win rate of 68%. He has also played a key role in the development of stars like Erling Haaland and Patson Daka, among others.
Perhaps even more interestingly, mooted Leeds transfer target Brenden Aaronson is a huge fan of the American coach, having been signed by him at the Red Bull Arena.
“He has been awesome; I can’t speak of Jesse highly enough,” Aaronson said to Transfermarkt. “We have this excellent connection, but not just because I am American, just because he right away treated me as one of the guys. He also does a really good job, we watch a lot of film, and he helps me to improve my game, and I have learned so much in just the five months that I have been here.”
That could certainly aid the Yorkshiremen’s pursuit this summer, that’s for sure.
In terms of all three candidates, the 48-year-old really could be the best option as his methodology is so similar to that of Bielsa, so a change may well be seamless.
The only difference is the slight change of formation, where Marsch likes to opt for an attacking 4-2-2-2, something Leeds fans would be thrilled to see.
‘Key to my way of playing is the idea of pressing to score goals; not thinking about possession when you win the ball, but thinking about how to get the ball forward and score as quickly as possible,’ he once revealed to The Coaches Voice.
On the above evidence, Orta could well unearth the perfect successor to Bielsa in Marsch this summer. Only time will tell if a replacement is needed then, but it’s certainly encouraging that the club are on the lookout already, even if it’s just in case.
AND in other news, Thomas Christiansen disaster: Rarely-seen Leeds flop has been robbing Radz dry for 213 weeks…