Since August I've sat back and watched as our season has quickly unravelled to reach the murky depths of the relegation zone within 11 games - just under a third of the season.
Everyone has an opinion about who is to blame - that's human nature when things go wrong. There always has to be a scapegoat.
While it's hard to argue a case for Marsch keeping his job right now, I think the spotlight should really focus on the real villains of the piece - the owners.
Below are a couple of quotes from Victor Orta following Marsch's appointment back in March -
"We believe his philosophy and style of football aligns with that of the club and will suit the players very well."
"(He) has demonstrated during our many meetings that he is a great fit with the footballing culture of Leeds United."
My question is, should the owners, who are not football people, be dictating a style of football as a pre-requisite for any prospective managerial appointment?
It could be argued that as owners, that is their prerogative. However, does that also mean that if, for example, Brendan Rodgers was available, he could be overlooked because his style of football was not aligned to the self-imposed footballing culture of Leeds United - despite his successful track record at Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester?
I believe that the owners have been seduced by 4 years of Bielsa Ball and being the darlings of the purists, even though things went badly wrong at the end. To think that Marsch could emulate the achievements of the great man by tweaking that philosophy was misguided - that is not Marsch's fault. He got his full pre-season and the players he wanted but he failed to secure a much-needed left-back and experienced central striker. I would suggest that was more down to the owners having short arms and deep pockets, and Marsch was diplomatically towing the "party line". The owners are guilty of narrow-mindedness and financial naivety.
How many youngsters signed by the club have progressed after leaving Leeds?
Poveda is bench warming at Blackpool. Stevens is doing the same at Barrow, as was Gotts before his injury. Hosannah is at National League Wrexham. Halme is back in Finland. Bogusz is out on loan at his one-zillionth club.
How many 4 year deals have been dished out to players? - De Brock, Greenwood, Summerville, Gelhardt, O'Kane, Bouy, Grot - and I'm sure there will be others. Will Greenwood, Summerville and Gelhardt go the way of the others when it's decided they don't measure up to the required standard, perhaps Gelhardt excepted? Potentially, they'll be on the books for the duration of their contracts, go out on loan until their contracts expire, or leave for peanuts. To think that Greenwood cost £3 million defies belief when put beside Italy international Gnonto, who it seems is not ready for a first team debut.
The owners have no idea about priorities and protecting the interests of the first team with a view to cementing our place in the PL.
Football is a results business and ultimately that is what will define a manager's tenure. However, the buck stops at the door of the owners. They have to be accountable for their decisions. History has shown that ours are guilty of mismanagement and naivety.
Ownership and autonomy are a toxic mixture, and the trouble really starts when owners think that they are an authority on all things they are not experts in.
Like many, I don't know who comes in to sort this mess out. I just remember thinking when Ernie Howe was appointed at Newcastle a year ago that it was a missed opportunity for us. Would the owners have even considered him when taking into account our "footballing philosophy and culture"?
Whatever happens, one thing is certain - the owners cannot dither and dither and dither as they have done in the past. They need to decide one way or the other. Long term, I think Marsch is toast, in which case they need to be pro-active in looking for a replacement now so that when the World Cup break starts the new guy has time to work with the squad. The stumbling block is that once more, the financial implications are impossible to ignore. Marsch is 6 months in to a 3 and half year contract so it would be an expensive sacking. Will these clowns ever learn?
At this point, I don't give a damn about footballing philosophy - results are what count at whatever cost they come, and if that means sacrificing the idealistic footballing philosophy and culture then so be it. Idealists have to be able to afford to philosophise - survival is a completely different mindset.
It's high time that AR, VO and AK realised that and got real. They've had more than long enough.
MOT
Ownership and Autonomy
posted on 25/10/22
5 stars from me, great article!
Re Philosophy, culture or you could say knowing your why...(see Simon Sink;s YouTube video on start with why), this is where you should start.
Define the culture, what you stand for, your identity.
Have we really done that?
What was our philosophy under Heck?
You are right, seduced bytes Bielsa years, the football, the improvement in players, but also all the attention that comes with it.
Just look at man u, at how hard they have had to work, how much they have had to spend, to create and sustain success and how hard it is to follow that up with next manager.
I completely agree with these long contacts and have long said that we spend far too much time and resources on bringing in young players when we have to stabilise and grow our bread and butter, which is the first team.
Poveda is hugely symbolic of our issues.
Hyped upon arrival, justified because of where he'd come from, takes a places from a player who could have come through and have way through a 4 and a half year contract has delivered nothing.
One doesn't expect a 100% hit rate, but one does expect a hit rate, we just don't have that with Orta.
The appointment of Bielsa was hailed as a masterstroke.
It would have been much more of a masterstroke if they'd have done that a year earlier instead of choosing TC and Heck ahead of Bielsa.
These owners can't keep living on getting it right once in a sea of getting it wrong time and time again and being so out of touch they came up with the team badge that was the laughing stock of the entire world.
Once again, brilliant article, hope all is well!
posted on 25/10/22
Not only is our team unraveling, Elland, our club is imploding. All the great work done under the stewardship of Bielsa is quickly disintegrating. As you rightly point out, it’s not about Jesse, it’s about our half-witted, short-sighted and arrogant owners who think they know about football. Without Bielsa, we see them for what they are.
Wish I could disagree with your analysis, but you are correct in everything you say. Five stars from me.
posted on 25/10/22
An excellent article Elland and five stars from me. Also outstanding comments from Jonty and Marschian.
My concern is that the owners will dither and we'll have more of the same until we're entrenched in a relegation battle. I'm expecting no points from Liverpool and Spurs away, so a win at home to Bournemouth is an imperative, even at this stage of the season.
My view is that Marsch is not the man to get us up the table and needs to be replaced asap. Unfortunately, I believe the owners will do nothing until we are cast adrift in the bottom three by the end of January.
posted on 25/10/22
5 stars again from me, Elland.
posted on 25/10/22
Excellent article Elland and some great comments from everyone else too