Angus Kinnear reveals Jesse Marsch conversation that gave Leeds United board confidence

Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch can't be judged on last season, according to CEO Angus Kinnear. The American steered Leeds clear of relegation last season after taking over from Marcelo Bielsa in February.

Marsch won four of his 11 games in charge of the Whites last season, but Kinnear says the 48-year-old can't be judged off those matches, as he had to make 'pragmatic decisions'.

“We can’t judge him on his football from last season," Kinnear told The Square Ball Podcast when asked if Marsch had to prove himself to the Leeds supporters.

"He came in to do a very specific job, which was to keep us up and he had to make some pragmatic decisions that aren’t tied to the football he wants to play. He had to come in and make a judgement call about how much adaptation the players could take at that point in the season and what they could deliver while confidence was low.

"He is the manager, I think, to go out and give the supporters the brand of football that Elland Road wants. We had a discussion with him about the Cagliari game and when they came back to 3-2, we said ‘Jesse, at 3-0 up, shouldn’t you have been sitting back and dropping the midfielders in?’ He said: ‘No, no, because I knew we’d score six, so it doesn't matter.'

“He wants to play an ambitious and flamboyant style, but I think it will be mixed with a more pragmatic approach to defending, a more pragmatic approach to set-pieces, and that’ll keep us in games, and give us the ability to win more games.”