Marsch’s crash course
This was the first time Leeds United had been without Jesse Marsch on the touchline since his arrival in February. The head coach had suggested he may watch the match from the gantry on Sunday, but he would ultimately take a seat among the media in the press box.
Ninety minutes before kick-off, backroom staffer Ewan Sharp was seen giving Marsch a crash course on how to get up to the media seats and what the view would be like for him while he was up there.
Gelhardt’s pre-match workout
While he was being omitted from the 3.30pm teamsheeet, striker Joe Gelhardt was out on the pitch with fitness coach Pierre Barrieu. The 20-year-old was in his numbered match shorts, but, it transpires, not doing a late fitness test as we assumed.
READ MORE: Steven Gerrard slams Jesse Marsch's opinion and praises Stuart Attwell's Leeds United turn
Jesse Marsch would later confirm it was simply getting some drills into his legs in the absence of any pitch time during the game.
Adams and Coutinho scrapes
The early minutes of the match underlined the fighter in Tyler Adams. In what were only minor, off-the-ball scrapes the American showed he’s willing to fight for every inch in the mental battle too.
Philippe Coutinho and Adams had two or three little shoves off the ball, or little arm wraps as they scuffled over bitty arguments. It seemed to start with the Brazilian trying to throw the ball over the American rather than just give it to him for a Leeds free-kick.
Longest cheer of the day
Stuart Attwell made headlines for all of the wrong reasons at Elland Road on Sunday. The referee set a low bar for blowing his whistle in the first half and it got worse from there on out in a match marred by stoppages.
As far as the home support was concerned, the decisions were all going in the wrong direction from Attwell. When they did eventually get something in their side’s favour, they erupted.
There had been what felt like a long spell through the final quarter of the match where Leeds consistently found themselves on the wrong side of the calls being made. In the 87th minute, when a free-kick was awarded to United a prolonged cheer went out, with people getting to their feet and celebrating like a goal had been scored.
Gerrard lashes out
Premier League clubs know full well they have to be taking advantage when an opponent is down to 10 men for half of the match. Aston Villa put more into attack after Luis Sinisterra’s dismissal, but could not find a way through.
As the final moments of the game ebbed away and Villa continued to fluff their lines, Steven Gerrard could not contain his frustration any longer. As he spun away from the latest miss he screamed in anger and toe-punted a standing water bottle down the touchline, much to the John Charles Stand’s amusement.
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