"Your best chances to win the ball back is within 8 seconds after losing it" Jesse Marsch

A few months ago Leeds United announced Jesse Marsch as their new Head Coach, with a short term objective (avoiding relegation) through which he couldn’t apply his principles 100%. Watching some of Jesse’s webinars, I’ve learned a lot about his principles of play, how he wants his team to function in some phases.

After he got his first pre-season with the team, his opening game against Wolves was my number one priority on the very first Saturday of PL.

Your best chances to win the ball back is within 8 seconds after losing it

After coding the game, I’ve spent hours rewatching Leeds’ defensive and attacking transitions. I was curious to see how much will the team look like a Jesse Marsch’s ideal team.

What does Leeds do when they lose the ball?

There is no a specific fixed role for each player separately, it’s more like a fluid counter pressing system; i.e. it depends on the situation. For example, the one who is closest to the ball in that case was Aaronson(7) tried to block the passing lane to Nouri(3), however the ball was delivered to Nouri, so he(Aaronson) ran to mark Neves(8). Adding to that, the closest two players started running aggressively towards that possible receiver. Meanwhile at the back, Jesse’s players are compressed and ready to press the closest opponent; Koch(5) presses Hee-Chan Hwang(11), Kristensen(25) follows Neto(7).

Another example, implying the idea of the fluidity of the counter pressing system. Again the closest 3 to 4 players run aggressively towards their corresponding opponents; Aaronson presses Nouri, Bamford marks Kilman(23), Rodrigo stays close to Neves, Roca(8) jumps to press Dendoncker(32), meanwhile Kristensen follows Neto as usual and Koch is ready to jump to press Hee-Chan Hwang. Podence(10) was roaming freely, but T.Adams(12) was committing to follow him literally everywhere.

Tyler Adams was the most important player in that system. His timing in pressing is impeccable, his commitment to his role and the awareness he’s got is really remarkable. He was the second most player winning tackles (4) after Struijk (5) and the second most player with ball recoveries (8) after Harrison (9).

Higher chance to score a goal within 10 seconds after winning the ball

That takes us to the advantage of playing with Struijk as left back in that game. Gibbs-White(18) was the one who drifts to that flank most of the time. Whenever the ball was directed high to that left flank Struijk runs towards him easily winning these aerial duels, which restarts the attack for Leeds United. In the next 3 screenshots, there are 4 of Jesse’s principles of play have taken place:
1. backline compression and controlling of space, i.e. ready to press aggressively on their closest opponents.
2. Importance of timing over pressing triggers itself, and this was implied in many situations, specifically from Struijk(21) and T.Adams(12).
3. Using Stinger Cross(flat and early) which initiates counter pressing situations.
4. Finishing the attack within 10 seconds after winning the ball.

Another example on the advantage Struijk’s offered. Which also shows one version of the verticality in Leeds’ attacking transitions, pass to the closest free player (Adams in that case) who will turn towards the goal and make a threaded pass forward to either the 10 (Klich or Rodrigo) or Aaronson who tends to tuck in more. Spoiler: this transition ended with the winning goal.

One more example in another attacking transition for the same pattern.

Style Clutch

What is that “clutch” thing? A clutch is playing a vertical ball to target man who passes it back to another player, then that’s a trigger moment for every player to run from the deep. Defined by Jesse Marsch himself.

That shows again his verticality in progressing with the ball, and even that principle has been witnessed in that very first game. It has occurred in transitions and in organised progression attacks also; a vertical pass to Bamford who lays it off to the closest teammate and that’s when everyone in the front line runs towards the box.

One more example, but this time to Rodrigo, who passed it back to Roca, then Roca passed it directly to the running fullback Kristensen.

It’s truly fascinating how clear Marsch’s principles were in the first game after his first pre-season with the team. That gives a good sign that through the season Leeds will master and execute the American’s ideas better and better.

Note: Any header written in this post was said by Jesse Marsch in one of his webinars, you can check it from here