Leeds United employee warns player issue to rumble on for ‘weeks’ after confession
Noel Whelan has warned the Leeds United squad could take several “weeks” to adapt to Jesse Marsch’s tactical demands.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Leeds striker and club ambassador insisted the players need to get out of habits learned under Marcelo Bielsa “very swiftly”.
As quoted by Leeds Live (10 March) after Thursday’s 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa, Jesse Marsch confessed he was unhappy with the way his squad pressed the visitors out of possession.
He insisted the performance was a “product of playing man-v-man against the ball for four years” and that he wants to change the “tactical style” at Elland Road.
However, Whelan warned the desired changes could take a while to implement.
Whelan told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “It is difficult. You have had a man who has taught you how to be playing football for three-and-a-half years. He worked day in, day out on giving you that identity and that way of playing.
“So to change again and adapt again to different triggers of when you need to go and press, who needs to go and press, in what shape you need to go and press. This isn’t going to happen in one week.
“This is going to take a number of weeks, but we don’t have that long. We don’t have that time and that privilege of that time to do it week in, week out and try and get it right.
“The games are coming thick and fast. The players need to learn very swiftly. Sometimes it’s just about common sense, when you can trigger, is it a poor pass? Do I press now? It’s about people backing you up from behind.”
Leeds currently sit 16th in the Premier League table and face Norwich City on Sunday.
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