Welcome Jesse Marsch

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Re: Welcome Jesse Marsch

Post by NottinghamWhite »

Winner of the Europa League
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Re: Welcome Jesse Marsch

Post by Blanc de blanc »

Full transcript

Jesse, you've got to be pleased with the way things are going?

Yes, I think it has got to do with the character of men we have in our team. From day one, they have accepted me and they have tried to learn the new style of football I want them to play. The work ethic every day is at a very high level and it is a lot of fun to work with them.


Did you feel any more pressure replacing Marcelo Bielsa?

No, I have done this a lot where I have come after good managers and popular managers and I know it is just about the work. You've [Ally McCoist] been a player and you know what it is like, this is our world, if you succumb to pressure you are in the wrong business. So, you just have to wake up every morning, go to work, do the best you can, do the best every day, then find ways to be intelligent, find ways to improve, find ways to be innovative, and then be clear with the way you communicate and the way you work with the group of players. We've managed to have a relatively quiet work day every day. That has led to us focusing on the things that can make a difference in us fighting for points
.

How hard was it to pick the players' confidence up off the floor?

I could see, just from watching games from afar and even talking to people at the club, that the stress levels were really high. The first days I just spoke about trying to stay calm. We had 12 games to go - that's almost a third of a season and there was a lot to play for. There was a lot of opportunities for us to do what we needed to do to control our destiny. So, day-by-day I just tried to explain what playing philosophy I want us to play like. The guys again who are here, have already operated at a high level, they will run and fight for each-other and the fit has been good. Victor Orta reached out to me a couple of years ago and just talked about what it would be like to be here and it was an intelligent thing as I am thankful to be here as well. It has been really fun for me to find a place where I am appreciated, where the things I appreciate fit with the ethos of the city, the club and the fans, so there is still so much to do, but it has been a lot of fun in these first few weeks

How appreciated do you feel at Leeds now you've had a few games?

There is even dialogue now comparing myself and Marcelo, which I find ridiculous. But appreciation doesn't matter as much as I think connection, energies and what it feels like to work on the inside of a team. So, if you haven't done it before and you've only been a fan, commentator or a pundit, you don't really know what it is like to work on the inside of a team. Everyone has a right to have their opinion, but the only option that matters is the one inside here at Thorp Arch. That is what we've tried to focus on is our relationships, our communications and the way we push every day.

How near are you to have a full squad to pick from?

The injury issues had a lot to do with the training methodologies, the players were over-trained. That led them to being physically, mentally, psychologically and emotionally in a difficult place to recover from week-to-week and game-to-game. I have a very specific methodology in the way I work and I've had a reputation for having high running data in the way we play, but also having healthy, fit and strong players so we can meet the demands we want. So, we tried to put that into place to help the players, I think that has helped a lot. The one with Patrick I felt terrible about because the responsibility of a coach to take care of players and to make sure you're not injuring them and putting them in harms way In the end, it didn't go the way I wanted with Patrick and I always feel like it is my responsibility to get that right. But for the most part, we are getting healthy and strong with almost the entire group. The other part of that is the playing style. Marcelo had such strong man-to-man demands and trying to rip apart three-and-a-half years of work structured exactly to do that, to now transitioning into what I want to do moving forward has been challenging for the players to adapt to. They have worked really hard at it but they still fall into old habits, especially when they are fatigued on the pitch. It's normal, right? I'm going to tell them a story today that I was watching a video on the bus ride back and I was frustrated about some of the things that were still not right. But then when I got off the bus, I went to go and get in my car and I got in the wrong side because I am still used to driving on the right hand side of the road.


Did you feel any physical or mental drainage when you came in?

Absolutely. From afar, you could see it on their faces and you could see in the 15th minute of some of those games that they were already at the maximum, and that shouldn't be the case. I know there were a lot of games where the guys had to play over and over again because of injuries, but I find that in this sport, you have to have a fit team. But the more your team is fit, healthy and performing at a high level, that is how you create success. Again, I have worked very carefully through methodologies of how we train, how we play, how everything fits together to make sure that we have a healthy group that is at top fitness and form so we can compete for as many points as possible.


What are the major differences, if any, between the top tier in England and in Germany?

For sure, the talent level is massive. There is good tactical levels on the pitch, but Germany is a coaches league. Every team has a very distinct, tactical plan that is put to place, and listen, the Germans often think of players as chess pieces, not as people. I loved that I learned a lot of the tactical philosophies in Germany and the details in which they think about the game. I think that is starting to spill over to England more and more. And coaches are coming here with a German background and this idea of having a tactical model. But one of the things you have in England here is an incredible mentality and fight to run for 90-plus minutes. I try to do both as well, I want to have a manager that has a distinct plan and a tactical model on the pitch, but I also want a team that goes out, fights for everything, believes in each-other, runs for each-other, and wants to do everything to get the result on the day. What's nice is that this playing philosophy that I have created or at least learned and built upon, fits really well with that mentality, so that's what I want to do.


How important is it to have the core group still together?

It works both ways, the positives are that they have worked so hard to get here, they know how much it means, they understand both the city, the club, the fanbase and they understand what it means to be a part of Leeds. They are also incredible young men, they come every day and work so hard, like honestly our professional team has less egos than our Under 23s team. We're still working through our 23s team to make sure they are doing things correctly. They're a still a good group, but it is just a big reflection of where the professionals are in the club. It also has meant that they've felt the pressure of staying and making the fans proud. They've harboured the stress on the fans back and I have felt that, I could see that early on and how we could perform at our optimal every day in training, but most importantly in game day


How have you settled into life in Yorkshire?

It is a stark contrast to Germany. In Germany, I came from a place that is pretty cold and people aren't so open, we liked being there as well. But here, people are so open and warm, and Elland Road is incredibly special. But I talk about the everyday life of living on the street, I like it more when people don't know who I am. And then I go into places and see how friendly they are. No matter who you are the way they interact with each-other, I think there is a genuineness to the region that really resonates with me and then the fans have been nothing but positive with me when they do recognise me. They appreciate that the team has played so hard and has found a way to get more points and have been very gracious with me as the new coach. So, I am really thankful to be here, it is a really good fit and I have spoken positively at almost every corner because of the experience and it has been incredible. I just want to keep working hard to help our team to improve and honour what this team and club is.
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Re: Welcome Jesse Marsch

Post by Blanc de blanc »

This comment was posted in another forum, don’t know if anyone has seen the article it refers to? I love Bielsa, even had a few chats with him when he used to walk to Thorp Arch every day before CoVid, but players are people not robots.

There's an article in one of the tabloids today entitled ' Bielsa's brutal training was killing our stars.

" Marsch has brought back regular days off. They were so rare under Bielsa that one player's wife complained about the lack of time her husband was spending with their children. It is no surprise then that when Marsch told his squad that they would be getting 5 days off following their win at Wolves last month, the celebrations in the dressing room matched those on the pitch moments earlier. The players are said to be more refreshed and relaxed under their new coach, helped by the dialing down of the intensity of their training - not least on a Weds. '' My first murderball was on my second day at Leeds. After doing it I thought " what the f*** am I doing here, said centre half Robin Koch last season. '
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Re: Welcome Jesse Marsch

Post by Barlow Boy »

Blanc de blanc wrote:This comment was posted in another forum, don’t know if anyone has seen the article it refers to? I love Bielsa, even had a few chats with him when he used to walk to Thorp Arch every day before CoVid, but players are people not robots.

There's an article in one of the tabloids today entitled ' Bielsa's brutal training was killing our stars.

" Marsch has brought back regular days off. They were so rare under Bielsa that one player's wife complained about the lack of time her husband was spending with their children. It is no surprise then that when Marsch told his squad that they would be getting 5 days off following their win at Wolves last month, the celebrations in the dressing room matched those on the pitch moments earlier. The players are said to be more refreshed and relaxed under their new coach, helped by the dialing down of the intensity of their training - not least on a Weds. '' My first murderball was on my second day at Leeds. After doing it I thought " what the f*** am I doing here, said centre half Robin Koch last season. '
I think any employees would be pretty chuffed if they got 5 days off in full pay.

As for the wife in question, hopefully she is willing to pay back the huge bonus Bielsa helped her husband achieve by getting into the Premier League, not to mention the huge increase in salary he now receives every week ?
When you retire, you switch bosses - from the one that hired you, to the one that married you.
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Re: Welcome Jesse Marsch

Post by Blanc de blanc »

Happy wife, happy life as they say. But it seems from these (very carefully placed!) stories that the players were facing burnout with the fitness regime, however well it had worked at first when they were starting from a low base. All athletes have an off season to recover, be they cyclists, boxers, whatever, even me when I train to peak for a marathon, lol, you can’t sustain the peak indefinitely. The long CoVid-affected extension probably didn’t give them enough time to recharge, coupled with a small squad when the injuries inevitably happen, it’s sad.
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Re: Welcome Jesse Marsch

Post by Selby White »

Blanc de blanc wrote:The players are said to be more refreshed and relaxed under their new coach, helped by the dialing down of the intensity of their training - not least on a Weds. '' My first murderball was on my second day at Leeds. After doing it I thought " what the f*** am I doing here, said centre half Robin Koch last season. '
Firstly you are just repeating what Marsch said about the players been more refreshed & relaxed, lets judge if that is a good thing when we have a prolonged run of results and performances to judge.

Secondly if you saw the Koch interview he said the murder ball comment in an amusing way and also in the same interview sad it was clear from the start working with Bielsa.

If as some appear to do want to blame "training hard" for our injuries I would like them to explain why Forshaw, Ayling & Cooper had long term injuries.

I'm talking about the injuries that caused them to miss many games in 2017/18 before Bielsa arrived (maybe Heckingbottom ot Christianson demanded too much from them ;) )
Oh and add Alioski, Hernandez, Douglas & Shackleton to the long injury term list that season.

Note Forshaw missed Watford game, we had 4 players get subbed at Wolves for injuries.

Injuries happen in football, who do we blame for the future ones ?


I've said it before many of our players have reached the level they have due to the tough training regime not despite it (Ayling, Dallas, Cooper, Phillips, Bamford, etc). Where would they be without it ?
And more importantly where would the Club be ?
Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.
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Re: Welcome Jesse Marsch

Post by PhoenixUnited »

Blanc de blanc wrote:Full transcript

Jesse, you've got to be pleased with the way things are going?

Yes, I think it has got to do with the character of men we have in our team. From day one, they have accepted me and they have tried to learn the new style of football I want them to play. The work ethic every day is at a very high level and it is a lot of fun to work with them.


Did you feel any more pressure replacing Marcelo Bielsa?

No, I have done this a lot where I have come after good managers and popular managers and I know it is just about the work. You've [Ally McCoist] been a player and you know what it is like, this is our world, if you succumb to pressure you are in the wrong business. So, you just have to wake up every morning, go to work, do the best you can, do the best every day, then find ways to be intelligent, find ways to improve, find ways to be innovative, and then be clear with the way you communicate and the way you work with the group of players. We've managed to have a relatively quiet work day every day. That has led to us focusing on the things that can make a difference in us fighting for points
.

How hard was it to pick the players' confidence up off the floor?

I could see, just from watching games from afar and even talking to people at the club, that the stress levels were really high. The first days I just spoke about trying to stay calm. We had 12 games to go - that's almost a third of a season and there was a lot to play for. There was a lot of opportunities for us to do what we needed to do to control our destiny. So, day-by-day I just tried to explain what playing philosophy I want us to play like. The guys again who are here, have already operated at a high level, they will run and fight for each-other and the fit has been good. Victor Orta reached out to me a couple of years ago and just talked about what it would be like to be here and it was an intelligent thing as I am thankful to be here as well. It has been really fun for me to find a place where I am appreciated, where the things I appreciate fit with the ethos of the city, the club and the fans, so there is still so much to do, but it has been a lot of fun in these first few weeks

How appreciated do you feel at Leeds now you've had a few games?

There is even dialogue now comparing myself and Marcelo, which I find ridiculous. But appreciation doesn't matter as much as I think connection, energies and what it feels like to work on the inside of a team. So, if you haven't done it before and you've only been a fan, commentator or a pundit, you don't really know what it is like to work on the inside of a team. Everyone has a right to have their opinion, but the only option that matters is the one inside here at Thorp Arch. That is what we've tried to focus on is our relationships, our communications and the way we push every day.

How near are you to have a full squad to pick from?

The injury issues had a lot to do with the training methodologies, the players were over-trained. That led them to being physically, mentally, psychologically and emotionally in a difficult place to recover from week-to-week and game-to-game. I have a very specific methodology in the way I work and I've had a reputation for having high running data in the way we play, but also having healthy, fit and strong players so we can meet the demands we want. So, we tried to put that into place to help the players, I think that has helped a lot. The one with Patrick I felt terrible about because the responsibility of a coach to take care of players and to make sure you're not injuring them and putting them in harms way In the end, it didn't go the way I wanted with Patrick and I always feel like it is my responsibility to get that right. But for the most part, we are getting healthy and strong with almost the entire group. The other part of that is the playing style. Marcelo had such strong man-to-man demands and trying to rip apart three-and-a-half years of work structured exactly to do that, to now transitioning into what I want to do moving forward has been challenging for the players to adapt to. They have worked really hard at it but they still fall into old habits, especially when they are fatigued on the pitch. It's normal, right? I'm going to tell them a story today that I was watching a video on the bus ride back and I was frustrated about some of the things that were still not right. But then when I got off the bus, I went to go and get in my car and I got in the wrong side because I am still used to driving on the right hand side of the road.


Did you feel any physical or mental drainage when you came in?

Absolutely. From afar, you could see it on their faces and you could see in the 15th minute of some of those games that they were already at the maximum, and that shouldn't be the case. I know there were a lot of games where the guys had to play over and over again because of injuries, but I find that in this sport, you have to have a fit team. But the more your team is fit, healthy and performing at a high level, that is how you create success. Again, I have worked very carefully through methodologies of how we train, how we play, how everything fits together to make sure that we have a healthy group that is at top fitness and form so we can compete for as many points as possible.


What are the major differences, if any, between the top tier in England and in Germany?

For sure, the talent level is massive. There is good tactical levels on the pitch, but Germany is a coaches league. Every team has a very distinct, tactical plan that is put to place, and listen, the Germans often think of players as chess pieces, not as people. I loved that I learned a lot of the tactical philosophies in Germany and the details in which they think about the game. I think that is starting to spill over to England more and more. And coaches are coming here with a German background and this idea of having a tactical model. But one of the things you have in England here is an incredible mentality and fight to run for 90-plus minutes. I try to do both as well, I want to have a manager that has a distinct plan and a tactical model on the pitch, but I also want a team that goes out, fights for everything, believes in each-other, runs for each-other, and wants to do everything to get the result on the day. What's nice is that this playing philosophy that I have created or at least learned and built upon, fits really well with that mentality, so that's what I want to do.


How important is it to have the core group still together?

It works both ways, the positives are that they have worked so hard to get here, they know how much it means, they understand both the city, the club, the fanbase and they understand what it means to be a part of Leeds. They are also incredible young men, they come every day and work so hard, like honestly our professional team has less egos than our Under 23s team. We're still working through our 23s team to make sure they are doing things correctly. They're a still a good group, but it is just a big reflection of where the professionals are in the club. It also has meant that they've felt the pressure of staying and making the fans proud. They've harboured the stress on the fans back and I have felt that, I could see that early on and how we could perform at our optimal every day in training, but most importantly in game day


How have you settled into life in Yorkshire?

It is a stark contrast to Germany. In Germany, I came from a place that is pretty cold and people aren't so open, we liked being there as well. But here, people are so open and warm, and Elland Road is incredibly special. But I talk about the everyday life of living on the street, I like it more when people don't know who I am. And then I go into places and see how friendly they are. No matter who you are the way they interact with each-other, I think there is a genuineness to the region that really resonates with me and then the fans have been nothing but positive with me when they do recognise me. They appreciate that the team has played so hard and has found a way to get more points and have been very gracious with me as the new coach. So, I am really thankful to be here, it is a really good fit and I have spoken positively at almost every corner because of the experience and it has been incredible. I just want to keep working hard to help our team to improve and honour what this team and club is.
That has the makings of a reasonably broad interview around what, where and how things are going with Jesse Marsch. In all of the words the only bit that some elements have picked up on the sound bite of "the players were over-trained". It was a silly and naive thing to be saying and Jesse Marsch needs to learn quickly that he needs to have a care on what and how he says things and when it's best to keep the trap shut. Particularly, he must steer clear of raking over the coals of Bielsa's barbeque - he wasn't there and doesn't actually know what went on and what the context was of the MB seasons. Hopefully, for his sake, he's a quick learner!
Around that particular training comment comes some associated rubbish about a players wife allegedly saying something and a player (Koch) apparently wondering what he'd let himself in for signing for Leeds and playing under MB. I didn't see anyone uttering anything of note in our stellar first season back in the Premier League or indeed in the promotion season or the season before that about training save for some comments from our players about "murderball" on occasion and all said with a chuckle and smiles. Collectively they all did pretty well under MB I'd say
It's a quiet week with Premier League not getting underway until this coming Saturday so there's a lot of column inches to fill. Perhaps a wise head at the Club will whisper gently in his ear - or the fans might do that but they might be rather louder!
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Re: Welcome Jesse Marsch

Post by Selby White »

Blanc de blanc wrote:Happy wife, happy life as they say. But it seems from these (very carefully placed!) stories that the players were facing burnout with the fitness regime, however well it had worked at first when they were starting from a low base. All athletes have an off season to recover, be they cyclists, boxers, whatever, even me when I train to peak for a marathon, lol, you can’t sustain the peak indefinitely. The long CoVid-affected extension probably didn’t give them enough time to recharge, coupled with a small squad when the injuries inevitably happen, it’s sad.
You are correct in fact its proven that most athletes can reach their maximum peak only around 4 times per year.

That is great for sports like Boxing as the top ones can space their fights out. You run Marathons so I suspect you will know about periodisation training which involves everything from when to train hard to rest periods.
eg, An elite athlete will shape his/her training to peak for whatever they consider the important events. For some it maybe the Olympic, Worlds & Europeans where a lesser athlete maybe Nationals, County or Club championships. An international champ could win lower events at 80% so they just become part of the training.

It all involves hard training, diet for glycogen effect (energy peak at right time) and rest/recovery.
Differing from that someone like Eddie Izzard that ran 32 marathons in as many days for charity (mind boggles) it is all about maintaining a level possibly somewhere between 80 & 90% of his capability.

Football is nearer the Eddie Izzard example in the fact that the team plays one two games per week and the secret is getting them to play at around 90% level. The complication in football is it isn't an individual sport so of course you need 11 to 16 players each week and can't afford too many not reaching the performance level required.

The difference between a team like Leeds and other bottom clubs is to compete with the Man City's and Liverpool squads our players 90% standard is their 80%, hence they can relax a bit more.
To do that as a squad we and other bottom clubs need to work harder (all players) to counter their superior skill. However if they turn up at 90%+ level we will always be in trouble, fact of life as it stands in my view.
We got a few results against top teams last term because we hit them the right weeks and worked our socks off to earn the result.

Against weaker (bottom teams) our record is excellent in our time in the prem (yes we have had off days but not that many), its not because we have better players but because we work harder.

Hope Jesse takes us on, but I fear some of the players that MB dragged out of the Championship may fade if they don't maintain superior fitness levels.

Whether I'm right or wrong I don't think its good for any manager especially one in the early weeks of his job to criticise methods of his predecessor, just simply wrong and to give him benefit of my doubt I hope he realises he made a mistake and keeps his mouth shut in future.
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Re: Welcome Jesse Marsch

Post by John Dane »

I know, that it is a little bit off topic, but I just watched a short video with Kalvin, Rapha and Joffy with a group of kids visiting Elland Road.
For those minutes I was thinking, that the players should train a lot less and spend a lot more time bringing joy to childrens eyes. Who cares about three points, when you see a little diseased boy or girl with happieness all over their faces?

I know, that it doesn’t work that way - and hopefully the kids also enjoy three points against Crystal Palace :)

All in all I love knowing, that our players do a lot of work away from the training ground too - and perhaps as important?
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Re: Welcome Jesse Marsch

Post by The Fonz »

John Dane wrote:I know, that it is a little bit off topic, but I just watched a short video with Kalvin, Rapha and Joffy with a group of kids visiting Elland Road.
For those minutes I was thinking, that the players should train a lot less and spend a lot more time bringing joy to childrens eyes. Who cares about three points, when you see a little diseased boy or girl with happieness all over their faces?

I know, that it doesn’t work that way - and hopefully the kids also enjoy three points against Crystal Palace :)

All in all I love knowing, that our players do a lot of work away from the training ground too - and perhaps as important?
Saw a video along similar lines last week of Pascal Struijk playing with kids with Cerebral Palsy.

Great to read about our players giving something back to society rather than the often negative press certain footballers bring on to themselves :clap:
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