Jesse Marsch watches Leeds United nightmare turn into American dream

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 that saw the American go 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 earlier 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 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