Tending to broken limbs in New Cross Hospital, squeezing a pint in before your lift leaves, painting the streets of WV1 with songs of follow, follow, follow, or giving Leeds United’s first team the day off, everyone celebrated in their own way on Friday night. Jesse Marsch admits he immediately regretted the rush of blood to his head as he spoke over the thud of the first team’s boombox in the dressing room shortly after 10.15pm in Wolverhampton.
Drunk on the hazy fumes of victory, the Whites head coach agreed to give the entire squad Saturday off. It did not seem a huge ask given what unfolded in the West Midlands, but Marsch did regret granting that freedom, at least initially.
This is a club in a fight for survival and even with a gaping two-week chasm with which to prepare for Southampton at Elland Road, this is a new regime which cannot afford to waste a minute of work on the training pitches or in the video room. When he spoke to the media after Friday’s win, Marsch admitted it was probably for the best if his side spent the weekend apart after the reminder Raphinha’s plight gave everyone of an illness which can rip through a squad.
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Asked about his plans for the international break and if he hoped to get as many bodies out of the treatment room as possible, Marsch said: “Yes. In the euphoria after the game I gave them tomorrow (Saturday) off and then about 10 minutes later, I was like, 'Why did I do that?', but they deserved it.
“You know, and even with the Covid situation with Raphinha, it might be best for us not to be around each other for a few days and hopefully we won't pick up any more cases.”
In a season which has delivered just seven wins in 30 matches and the loss of an iconic head coach, Marsch knows it has been a grind for this squad. He said: “Certainly, mentally and physically, the men, it's not just in my time here, it's for the last three to four months, it's been a grind for our group, so they've earned the chance to enjoy a little free time in their families.”
