Jesse Marsch says he was torn over succeeding Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds

Jesse Marsch acknowledges he was torn when the voice on the other end of the phone asked whether he would be prepared to replace Marcelo Bielsa at short notice.

As he addressed a roomful of reporters at Leeds United’s training ground near Wetherby wearing a box-fresh club tracksuit, Bielsa’s impressively open successor detailed how his life was transformed after the struggling team’s 6-0 defeat at Liverpool last week.

“I wanted to see Marcelo continue his legacy and keep the team up and I wanted to make that argument with Victor [Orta, Leeds director of football] when he called me eight days ago,” said Marsch. “I wanted Marcelo to finish on a high note but I could see the group suffering.”

Accordingly when Leeds lost 4-0 at home to Tottenham last Saturday and Bielsa was swiftly sacked, Marsch’s mind was made up.

The manager, who left his last job at Leipzig in December, confirmed he had been talking to Orta about eventually succeeding Bielsa for the past two years, with the pair establishing powerful philosophical connectivity.

“Being a good fit where you vibe with everything around you is often the most important thing you need as a manager,” he said. “It’s about finding people that care about the same things and that connection has made my first few days here a joy. I believe in this project so much.

The 48-year-old – a big managerial hit at Red Bull Salzburg – intends to debunk a certain prejudice surrounding American coaches in English football.

“I get it,” said Marsch, whose first assignment is at Leicester on Saturday. “I think there’s probably a stigma. People hate hearing the word soccer. I’m not sure Ted Lasso [the hapless sitcom character] has helped. But I’ve used the word football since I was a professional