Leeds United lost out 2-3 at Elland Road this afternoon to a Fulham side on the march, taking Jesse Marsch’s side to a horrible record of no wins, that now stretches to eight games, and sees them bottom of the form table.
The Whites last tasted victory all the way back on the 21st of August when they beat Chelsea 3-0. In that time they have picked up just two points from a possible 24, clear relegation form that has indeed seen the club slip into the relegation places, and with a trip to Anfield next to face Liverpool, it isn’t looking good for Leeds, or Jesse Marsch.
Leeds started the game well, as they have done for most games this term and took the lead in the 20th minute. Good build-up play saw Brenden Aaronson slip a perfectly weighted ball for Jack Harrison to cut in and work the ball onto his favoured left foot, his shot was well blocked but the looping ball went to the back-post for Rodrigo to nod past Bernd Leno in the Fulham sticks. Elland Road erupted as the home side chased and closed down the Fulham defenders searching for a second.
Only six minutes later it was 1-1. Fulham started to get a hold of the game and the goal from Leeds gave them the kick up the proverbial rear-end. Robin Koch was forced into giving a corner and the resulting cross was flicked passed Ilan Meslier by Aleksandar Mitrovic after Luke Ayling had completely lost his man at the front post. As the half drew to a close the tempo slowed down as needless fouls and free-kicks were given around the halfway line and neither side looked to urgently attack.
The second half started and it was Fulham who looked the more likely to score, even though it was Leeds who had the chances. Rodrigo hit a low effort straight at Leno and then moments later flicked a cross wide at the front post. Marsch had seen enough and introduced Patrick Bamford and Crysencio Summerville for Rodrigo and Luis Sinisterra. Within seconds Bamford was played in on goal by Aaronson only for Leno to race out and smother the striker’s effort. Just as Leeds started to gain momentum, they went 1-2 behind. Bobby De Cordova-Reid flicked a header into the far corner as he was left unmarked from a set piece on the right.
The home side, Marsch and the fans inside Elland Road were shellshocked, and it soon got worse. The game became scrappy and the home side was getting increasingly frustrated. A well-worked passage of play near the corner flag saw Harrison Reed jinx his way into the area to cut back the pass for Willian to dispatch his effort into the back of the net with the Leeds defence all at sixes and sevens.
The home side did pull one back late on, good work from substitute Joe Gelhardt who slotted in Summerville to stab the ball past Leno for the youngster’s first Premier League goal for the club, but it was too little too late. The home side couldn’t get the ball back from Fulham as they held the ball in the corner and eventually held on to claim three crucial points at Elland Road.
As the final whistle sounded, the crowd, as they did at Leicester on Thursday, showed their disgust as jeering, and chants of “sack the board” and “You’re getting sacked in the morning” rang out from corners of the stadium. It certainly looks impossible for the American to come back from this one.
Marsch said after the game, “I don’t think our fans want to hear a lot of tactical analysis right now. We have a good start to the game and you feel like after the goal that we’re gonna get control of things, but we find ways to hurt ourselves and to give up goals in ways that we don’t think we should be, and then we put games in balance, and then you know, in the second half, even when it’s 1-1, you can see that our confidence isn’t at its highest and then, you know, we find a way to give the game away.”
“I mean set piece defending we take a lot of pride on and to basically, it’s two corners and then a throw-in as well where we don’t defend well enough and we’re not ready for those moments. It’s painful and unacceptable really, we have to do better.”
“I understand their frustration, we’re all in that in that boat, I’m responsible, I’m responsible for making this team better, I’m going to work tirelessly to try to help them gain their confidence, to have solutions, to show belief in them, to challenge them, to stay strong and keep pushing, you know, but I accept responsibility, we have to do better.”
And when asked about his future he said, “I’m here, again I’ve said from the beginning for the long term. I love this club, investing everything I have to try to make us better. We always knew that the league is incredibly difficult we never took anything for granted, even staying up last year and we’re going to use our mentality and our commitment, even to the end you see us push today, and we’re going to use that, that character that we have in the group to figure out a way to get out of this and figure out ways to get better.”
What do you think, Is it time for Marsch to go? Let us know in the comments.