Expert suggests Leeds United problem at Thorp Arch – ‘there’s no hiding this…’
Jesse Marsch replaced Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United last season and was caught in the “vicious cycle” of injuries caused by a lack of depth.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
Marsch is approaching his one-year anniversary at Elland Road after replacing Bielsa last February following a poor run of results.
The American helped the Whites avoid relegation in dramatic fashion on the final day of the season, and had to do so while handling a number of major injuries to key players.
Dinnery showcased just how bad Leeds’ injury situation was over the calendar year of 2022, with his report showing that they suffered more time-loss injuries than any other club with 51.
He believes both Bielsa and Marsch suffered more injuries than usual as they were forced to play a number of players out of position.
“There’s no hiding the fact that under Bielsa, those players were worked extremely hard,” Dinnery told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.
“There was a plan A, and then there was nothing else. Your squad starts to become stretched and suddenly players are asked to deputise and play different roles.
“The physicality and the demands on your body positionally and putting different stresses and strains on your body lead to the possibility of picking up injuries.
“It became a vicious circle because the squad was becoming stretched, you then have more players on the sidelines and you’re then taking chances with players who aren’t quite 100 per cent.
“At that point, the manager doesn’t have many other options.
“Marsch came in and experienced that too and it made that period of adaptation very difficult for both him and his players.
“That introduction to a new style and philosophy is a red flag for injuries too.“
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