SO FAREWELL Jesse Marsch, doomed to failure at Leeds and on a hiding to nothing the minute he opened his mouth at Elland Road.
He arrived in England with an impressive coaching pedigree at New York Red Bulls, RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg.
But nothing could give him wings with football’s toughest crowd.
Compared to TV character Ted Lasso and derided for his accent, his positivity and even his clothes, the American never stood a chance of winning over the good folk of Yorkshire, where they still worship Marcelo Bielsa as one of their own.
Dour, monosyllabic and communicating via a series of grunts, what was it that so endeared Bielsa to the Leeds supporters?
Because even though Bielsa Ball was taking their team back to the Championship at a rate of knots, they were still inconsolable when he was replaced by Marsch a year ago.
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There is an unacknowledged snobbery in English football which means we can never accept a Yank can teach us anything about the game we gave to the world.
Even though no English manager has EVER won the Premier League title, we still cling to the belief that only someone from a ‘proper football country’ can be trusted to run our top teams.
And according to that Little Englander philosophy, people like Marsch should stick to American football, baseball and basketball… or owning most of our big clubs.
It meant that he spent his entire time at Leeds desperately trying not to say the ‘s’ word, because the mere mention of ‘soccer’ would drive the fans apoplectic.
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Yet that didn’t prevent him from signing US internationals Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams during his first transfer window nor from adding Weston McKennie last week.
Marsch knew drastic measures were called for after Leeds had avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth last season courtesy of a last day win at Brentford.
And to be fair to the owners, they backed him to the tune of £134.8million for 13 new signings.
They also gave him longer to put things right than Scott Parker, Thomas Tuchel, Steven Gerrard, Bruno Lage, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Frank Lampard received from top- flight rivals this season.
Yet results never improved and with the revolting crowd turning ugly, Marsch’s departure was always going to be just a matter of time.
But it wasn’t the nature of his sacking as much as the timing which came as such a head scratcher.
Because the Leeds hierarchy must have known that they were about to wield the axe when they forked out £25m – which could rise to £35m – for Georginio Rutter, before signing McKennie and Diogo Monteiro on transfer deadline day.
And what exactly were they thinking when they appointed Marsch’s long-term sidekick Chris Armas as his No 2 two weeks ago?
Surely it wasn’t just last Sunday’s unfortunate 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest which convinced the board that change was needed.
More likely it was a panicked reaction to Everton winning their first game under new boss Sean Dyche and threatening to drag Leeds into the bottom three.
Yet they didn’t have much of a succession plan because they are now scrambling around trying to find a managerial replacement after being rebuffed by Carlos Corberan and Andoni Iraola.
And the only thing at Elland Road that’s guaranteed is that the next man won’t come wrapped in a star-spangled banner.
WENGER BINGO
LIONEL MESSI? Tick.
Cristiano Ronaldo? Tick.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gerard Pique, Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Yaya Toure, Eden Hazard, Luis Suarez? Tick, tick, tick.
And now former Arsenal star Gilles Grimandi has revealed to SunSport how close the club once came to signing Kylian Mbappe.
That’s Wenger Bingo.
TITLE RACE IS PEPPED UP
PREMIER LEAGUE chiefs might just have revived this season’s title race by charging Manchester City with 115 breaches of their financial rules.
Because prior to the s*** hitting the fan, the reigning champions were barely going through the motions of defending their crown.
Pep Guardiola had clearly tired of winning the same trophy year after year.
And the Spaniard was keeping himself amused with avant- garde line-ups which involved leaving out his best players and isolating the game’s most prolific goalscorer.
But, all of a sudden, he has fire in his belly again and a new point to prove.
And that can only be bad news for league leaders Arsenal as they prepare for Wednesday’s top-of-the-table clash at the Emirates.
No one knows how this disciplinary case is going to go, nor how long City’s lawyers can drag it out for.
All we can say for certain is that Pep will be more spiky and sarcastic than ever in his press conference on Friday.
MANC MOANERS
MANCHESTER UNITED fans are up in arms that Casemiro was sent off for throttling Crystal Palace’s Will Hughes, while Jordan Ayew went unpunished for raising his hands to Fred in the melee.
On the other side of Manchester, fuming City fans are demanding to know why Chelsea aren’t also being charged for manipulating Financial Fair Play rules.
It’s football whataboutery at its finest.
Like the motorist being done for speeding on the side of the motorway while other cars fly past at 80mph, you just have to accept your punishment and take it on the chin.
SHARP TONGUE
SPORT is full of bad losers – but Billy Sharp became its first bad winner after Sheffield United’s FA Cup victory over Wrexham.
The bitter Blade accused the non-leaguers of a lack of respect following Tuesday’s fourth-round replay.
And sticking the boot into opponents three divisions below you is a surefire way to garner approval.
SHEIKHEN NOT STIRRED
INVESTMENT bankers handling Manchester United’s takeover imposed a February 17 deadline for bids to be submitted.
But what happens if some random oil sheikh comes in with an offer next Saturday?
Do the Glazers turn him away because he is 24 hours late? I don’t think so… it’s not eBay.
AJ OPPONENT NOT JERMAINE MAN
ANTHONY JOSHUA has confirmed that his next opponent will be Jermaine Franklin.
American heavyweight Franklin is the bloke who lost his last fight to Brit Dillian Whyte and comes into the ring with no titles to his name.
Hands up who is going to pay to watch that.
And even if Joshua wins, what exactly will it prove?
BRIDGE OF CRIES
THE Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is tearing up the newly-installed paving at the historic Swilcan Bridge following a global outcry.
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But as the woman from Brookside discovered, no good can ever come from digging up a patio.
What could possibly be buried under the 18th fairway? LIV golf’s credibility perhaps?
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
