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Kieran King

How Jesse Marsch's chaotic start as Leeds United boss compares to his recent predecessors

It has been quite a hectic start to Jesse Marsch's reign as Leeds United head coach. The American was appointed at the end of last month after the sacking of Marcelo Bielsa.

Marsch's first game in charge came at Leicester City, where the Whites were hoping to end a five-game losing run. Although the Foxes came out 1-0 winners, it was a much-improved performance from Leeds - creating an impressive xG of 2.15 on the day.

After a 3-0 defeat against Aston Villa, the Whites hosted Norwich City in what was billed as a must-win game. Just as the Canaries looked to have snatched a point, Leeds won it in dramatic circumstances when Joe Gelhardt fired the ball into the net, sparking wild scenes at Elland Road.

READ MORE: Leeds United on course to shatter unwanted Premier League record this season

This result was massive in the context of the relegation battle and the Whites backed that up by beating Wolverhampton Wanderers in bonkers circumstances, coming from two goals behind to snatch a 3-2 victory right at the death. Marsch has had a dramatic start to his time in West Yorkshire and LeedsLive have taken at look at previous managers' first four games at the helm.

David Hockaday - (W2, D0, L2)

An unpopular choice among supporters, Hockaday was appointed as Leeds' new manager at the start of the 2014/15 season and he struggled to produce positive results from the get-go. His first game at the helm was a 1-0 defeat at Millwall on the opening day, before back-to-back victories over Accrington Stanley and Middlesbrough papered over some of the cracks. The 64-year-old lost his fourth match and was sacked at the end of August.

Darko Milanic - (W0, D2, L2)

Hockaday's replacement came in the form of Slovenian coach Milanic, who also wasn't the fans' first-choice and he lasted just 33 days in the job. Milanic picked up just two points from his opening four games, drawing 1-1 and 0-0 against Reading and Sheffield Wednesday respectively.

Neil Redfearn - (W1, D1, L2)

Having previously been the Leeds boss on a temporary basis, Redfearn was given the job on a permanent basis in November team as he tried to pick up a confidence-shot team. It proved to be a successful appointment as Redfearn secured Championship status. But he won just one of his first four games, averaging just a point per game.

Uwe Rosler - (W0, D3, L1)

Former Brentford manager Rosler was given a full pre-season to prepare his Leeds side for the campaign, however, he was unable to deliver points on a consistent basis. He failed to win any of his opening four games at the helm, collecting just three points in the meantime.

Steve Evans - (W1, D2, L1)

Former Leeds United boss Steve Evans. (Getty Images)

Leeds' cycle of changing managers continued when Evans was appointed in October 2015 to try and steady the ship, and he did just that. Evans won one and drew two of his first four games - including a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Cardiff City and the five points collected was more than each of the four before him.

Garry Monk - (W1, D1, L2)

One of the more successful Leeds managers during this spell, Monk proved to be successful at Elland Road, but his tenure didn't particularly start well. His first game in charge was a 3-0 defeat against Queens Park Rangers, before the Whites beat Fleetwood Town in the League Cup on penalties. A 2-1 loss at home to Birmingham City and a 1-1 draw against Fulham saw Monk pick up one win from those games.

Thomas Christiansen - (W2, D2, L0)

Another relatively popular name, Christiansen got off to a quick start during his time at the Whites. He didn't lose any of his opening four matches - beating Bolton Wanderers 3-2 on the opening day of the 2017/18 season and thrashing Port Vale in the League Cup. He also drew twice - accumulating the same win percentage as Marsch.

Paul Heckingbottom - (W1, D2, L1)

Now Sheffield United's new manager, Heckingbottom failed to deliver success at the Whites and recorded a mediocre start, having won just once from four games. His only victory came against Brentford, while the Whites also drew with Derby County and Bristol City.

Marcelo Bielsa - (W4, D0, L0)

A true Leeds great, Bielsa became the first Leeds manager to win their opening four matches for almost 20 years when he guided the Whites to some impressive results in August 2018. Leeds earned a 3-1 victory over Stoke City on the opening weekend and followed that up with beating Bolton Wanderers, Derby County and Rotherham United - wins that helped the Whites to finish third in the Championship.

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