Former Leeds United forward Michael Bridges was at Elland Road for the Whites' 3-0 thrashing of Chelsea, and he believes Jesse Marsch's motivational skills were a big factor behind the performance.
The Whites put in arguably their best display since returning to the Premier League as they secured their first win over Chelsea since 2002. Goals from Brenden Aaronson and Rodrigo gave Leeds a 2-0 advantage at half-time, before Jack Harrison rounded off the scoring after the interval.
Bridges, who played 81 games during his time at Leeds, spent time with the squad during their pre-season in Australia, and the former striker believes the team have improved a lot since the tour Down Under.
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"It was absolutely relentless," Bridges said on The GegenPod.
"Having been with them in pre-season and seeing Jesse Marsch, the feedback I got back from some of the players was that under (Marcelo) Bielsa, they wouldn't have changed it for the world. They loved where that guy got them to, and some wouldn't have played international football (without him), let alone Premier League football.
"However, they didn't have a relationship with the manager. He was very standoffish, but tactically brilliant. Now they've gone from one guy to the other. He (Marsch) is so charismatic and the energy levels I witnessed of him in the video sessions when he was explaining how he wanted to play to the players - it was contagious.
"I can see how he's motivated the players to go out and put in that performance. When I saw them in Australia, they were still a bit disjointed in the final third, but they got it spot on (against Chelsea).
"They were clinical and they fed off the atmosphere in the ground. I was blown away by the atmosphere. I haven't witnessed an atmosphere like that."
The Whites are unbeaten in their first three Premier League matches as they look to improve on last season's 17th-placed finish. With the San Francisco 49ers 44% stake in the club, Bridges says 'big things' are on the horizon on and off the field for Leeds.
"You've got to remember that the 49ers own a percentage of Leeds United, and the market for them is America," said Bridges.
"This club and this affiliation they've got with the 49ers, let me tell you, there are big things happening at Leeds United over the next few years. Last season, it was a massive thing that they had to stay in the Premier League, and off the field there are lots of things going on for the future of this football club because of the investment from the 49ers."
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