Leeds News

Jesse Marsch on ‘unlucky’ Wolves defeat

|
Image for Jesse Marsch on ‘unlucky’ Wolves defeat

Leeds United lost out 1-0 at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the third round of the Carabao Cup as Jesse Marsch made 10 changes to the side that beat Bournemouth at the weekend.

As per TheYorkshireEveningPost, Jesse Marsch has stated he felt his much-changed side were unlucky to suffer a defeat and praised the display of his debutants. Marsch handed debuts to Mateo Joseph, Sonny Perkins and Darko Gyabi plus 32-year-old keeper Joel Robles. The game was open for large parts of the contest with Leeds in the ascendancy in the first 20 minutes as they pushed for an opener but ultimately lost out to an 84th-minute scorcher from Boubacar Traore. The hosts caused problems after Leeds’s first-half barrage of attacks and forced Joel Robles into some smart saves but the game was flat for both sides for large periods of the game.

Leeds struggled to create any flow to their play and although they had their fair share of the chances, they just couldn’t keep the ball in key areas and the transitions were constantly breaking down in the middle of the park. It is worth remembering though, that this was a team made up of fringe players and the youngsters, who, in some parts, played some decent football. Mateo Joseph lead the line well, Sonny Perkins helped with the press and Darko Gyabi looked calm and in control in the middle of the park.

One worry for Marsch was Joe Gelhardt limping off injured again meaning the two main strikers are now both injured, with Patrick Bamford still recovering from a hip injury, now both will be doubts for the last game before the World Cup when Leeds travel to London to play Spurs on Saturday.

Is it better to be out of the cup and now focus on the league?

Yes, survival is more important

Yes, survival is more important

No, I wanted a cup run

No, I wanted a cup run

Marsch said, “Cup matches can go a lot of different ways but we knew we put a lot of young players out on the pitch, a lot of young players that we believe in, and I think that they performed really well against a good opponent, against an opponent who played a lot of guys who have played a lot of first-team minutes, a lot of Premier League minutes.”

“I thought we had a really good performance and we were a little unlucky not to come away with more. I would say that Mateo Joseph was very good on the day, a little bit unlucky in the action that he is in on goal that he can’t find a way to get something on frame. I thought that Sonny Perkins also played really well.”

“We used him in a couple of different roles but I thought he was really intelligent and found a lot of good spaces, was also dangerous and was really good defensively. And then I thought Darko really grew into the game.”

“I think he found the game a lot, I think he was very confident on the ball, I thought he started to initiate things, he won some balls in the midfield and then Willy Gnonto comes on the pitch too and is also a big spark for us. We like our young guys and you can’t mimic, even in the 21s, you can’t mimic what the intensity of a game like this is and to see them perform like that I think was great.

“I think overall, good performances from every guy on the pitch. I thought Joel Robles also showed real presence, played really well. We played better than we thought and if we were to play that well, before the match if you were to ask me I would say okay we would have won. A little bit unlucky.”

What did you make of the performance from the youngsters? Let us know in the comments.

The Vital Network is unique from other football content providers as all the sites are run by the fans, for the fans. We are looking for a writer to join our Leeds United site. If you can write well-constructed, thought-provoking opinion pieces alongside reporting on current events and breaking news then I want to hear from you. Email paddy@snack-media.com.

1 of 10

What is the highest position Leeds have finished in the Premier League?

Share this article