History, tradition and being the fighter Leeds United’s fans want are of paramount importance to Jesse Marsch as he sculpts his squad at Elland Road. With more than 100 years of history and identity behind the Whites, Marsch feels it would be wrong for the current crop of stars to ignore that.
As the American approaches seven months in charge at Leeds, he seems confident with how his values align with that of the people on the terraces, the city and the wider county. Fighting for every inch and never backing down are some of the attributes Marsch boils that link down to.
“It's massively important because, playing in front of these fans, you have to know the identity of the club, what Elland Road is, what it means, the identity of Yorkshire and the type of people here, what's important to them, what they want to see on match day, which, of course, [is] they want to see a quality football team, but they want to see 11 fighters on the pitch at all moments,” he said.
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“I've said this before, it's why I think I fit here because this is the way I'm built, to never back down and be ready for every challenge. We have a team that has shown that already.
“I think already the team and the fans are embracing and will continue to grow in that way.”
He added: “I love being at a club, maybe if you have an English perspective, maybe you're so used to the storied pasts of clubs. Now the league is so multicultural, embracing the identity of the club is one of the most important things, no matter where you go.
“You have to understand the fans, the history, the ex-players, the expectations for what it means and each club has its own identity and no doubt we do. So I love it. I love it.”
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