Brawls have not been too frequent for Leeds United in recent years, but Jesse Marsch backed his players for their parts in the bust-up with Barnsley on Wednesday. Liam Kitching and Cody Drameh were at the heart of the flashpoint which saw both teams pile in on one another at Elland Road in the second half.
Kitching, a former Thorp Arch academy prospect, was seen pushing Drameh in front of the Norman Hunter Stand, but it’s unclear why he did it. That pair and Leo Hjelde, who came flying in at full pelt to back-up Drameh, were ultimately booked for their parts by John Brooks.
“Loved it,” said Marsch. “To be fair, they all stood up for each other, but didn't cross the line. It's really important everybody has each other's back.
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“Cody did nothing to deserve the reaction, but Cody stood up for himself and the team stood up for him. No punches were thrown, nothing stupid was done in the process.
“It was just a group showing total solidarity and commitment to each other. So this kind of stuff for me is important.
“I know there are these mass confrontation things and referees are trying to avoid all this, but for me, part of being a team is making sure you have each other's back. I thought that was great.”
Marcelo Bielsa’s desire for absolute respect of match officials and their authority put a cap on too much getting out of hand since Mateusz Klich’s Aston Villa goal in April 2019. On that occasion, there were head-to-heads going off all over the pitch after the Pole scored with the visitors pausing for treatment to a team-mate.
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