As the Leeds players sprinted across the pitch to celebrate with their fans at the final whistle, Jesse Marsch had a moment to himself. After a nerve-shredding afternoon during which the American went through every emotion watching his team eventually secure their Premier League status for another season, it must have felt like vindication.
Having been given the unenviable task of replacing Marcelo Bielsa at the end of February after Leeds had conceded 21 goals in just six matches, it all seemed likely to end in tears for the man who lasted less than half a season at RB Leipzig in Germany this season.
But while his references to Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Ali drew unhelpful comparisons to the first American manager to grace the Premier League, at least Marsch has avoided the fate of Bob Bradley at Swansea. His reign lasted just 85 days and while David Wagner – born in Germany but a former US international – did well to keep Huddersfield up, the reputation of coaches from across the pond has not been impressive.
Against opponents with nothing to play for and who were reduced to nine men for the last 15 minutes after Kristoffer Ajer had limped off and the substitute Sergio Canos was shown a red card, this was hardly a tactical masterclass from Marsch. Indeed, had Burnley found an equaliser at Turf Moor just before Jack Harrison’s late winner then the situation could have been totally reversed. But, as Marsch himself acknowledged afterwards, it was all about surviving.
“The stress has been high for three months but we never stopped believing,” he said. “There’s so much been said about Marcelo Bielsa v me and there’s been people counting us out. I get it, this is high-level stuff, and fans pay attention all over the world. I appreciate the fans singing my name but that’s not the important thing.”
The 1,725 visiting supporters in attendance certainly made themselves heard throughout, with renditions of “Marching on Together” booming out from the nearby Express Tavern hours before kick-off. Despite Ivan Toney’s best efforts, there was little sign of the unlikely animosity between these two clubs that dates back to their battle for promotion in 2020. But if the Brentford forward’s decision to retweet a video of Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas singing “mind the gap Thomas Frank” was an attempt to rile the opposition, it seemed to have the desired effect as Leeds made a terribly sloppy start.
Diego Llorente looked relieved to see the ball run out of play after his clearance was charged down by Toney directly from kick-off before Liam Cooper and Illan Meslier got themselves in a tangle soon after. With Patrick Bamford missing because of Covid, it was up to the 20-year-old Joel Gelhardt to provide them with a spark in attack and the bustling former Wigan forward was unlucky to see his effort ruled out for offside.
Just as they were getting over that disappointment, a section of Leeds fans got wind that Newcastle were ahead against Burnley thanks to Callum Wilson’s penalty. Cue another roar. Jumping around on the touchline in a short-sleeved white shirt and kicking every ball, the news from Turf Moor also seemed to put an extra spring in the step of Marsch as he urged his players forward.
While Leeds had spent just 22 days in the relegation zone all season, Brentford’s only dalliance with trouble came after a winless eight-game run at the start of the year. The arrival of Christian Eriksen on a short-term deal quickly ended any of those fears, although with the Denmark midfielder’s future still unclear Frank will be keen to avoid a similar fate to Sheffield United and Leeds after both flourished in their first season following promotion.
Had one of Eriksen, Toney, Mathias Jensen or Bryan Mbeumo taken one of the chances that fell Brentford’s way before the break then Marsch’s half-time team talk may have been very different. With the onus on Burnley, Leeds began the second half on the back foot once more and were fortunate to see Mbeumo waste another great chance following a mazy dribble from Eriksen. At that stage it felt impossible that Leeds could keep them out.
But within five minutes, somehow the momentum had swung completely the other way. First it was David Raya who turned from Brentford’s hero to villain after a brilliant save to deny Rodrigo, only to then bring down Raphinha after presenting him with the ball. The Brazilian celebrated with the fans in the corner after holding his nerve from the spot, with news of Newcastle’s second goal filtering through just as the match restarted. Suddenly, the great escape seemed almost complete as the travelling supporters urged each other to “sing your hearts out for the lads”.
Even then there was still time for another couple of twists. In a crazy few minutes, Brentford suddenly found themselves level thanks to Canos, Burnley pulled one back and then Harrison strode forward to seal his – and Marsch’s – place in Leeds folklore.
- Guardian
