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New Leeds United Manager Jesse Marsch Talks Tactics And Praises Marcelo Bielsa

New Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch has promised fans and players that his time in charge "will be fun".

The 48-year-old former New York Red Bulls, RB Salzburg and Leipzig boss was confirmed as Marcelo Bielsa's replacement on Monday.

Marsch takes over a team that just broke the Premier League record for most goals conceded in a calendar month, having shipped 20 in a February which ended with 4-2, 6-0 and 4-0 defeats.

Although widely hailed as the man who revolutionized Leeds from a mid-table Championship team to a competitive Premier League side, Bielsa faced criticism towards the end of his 1,353-day reign at Elland Road for being tactically stubborn.

There was a suggestion that Bielsa's Leeds had been 'worked out' and that their man-to-man tactics and high pressing system were largely to blame for them having the worst defensive record in this season's Premier League.

But Marsch has vowed to keep playing an "intensive" brand of football, albeit one with some tactical tweaks.

Marsch has signed a contract until the summer of 2025 and he told LUTV: "I know what a big club Leeds is, I know ex-players who have played here and I've watched this club from afar for many years and I'm really honored and excited to be here.

SEE ALSO: Who Is New Leeds United Manager Jesse Marsch?

"One of the things I love about this team right now is their commitment no matter how difficult the games have been, to play until the end, fight for each other, to never stop and to give everything to each other at every moment.

"This mentality and mindset to play for the fans, fight for the fans and to fight for each other is what I love, as a manager that is what I identify, a team that has heart, passion and plays for each other with everything they have.

"My style of play, my aggressiveness and the desire I have for teams to be intensive and to run and make things difficult for the opponent fits with what has been done here for three-and-a-half years.

"I have to identify how to do the important things and simple things right away, before building the complexity moving forwards.

"We have all the tools here, I'm here to help this group understand how we can get better and handling the moment right now, we have to stay calm and control what we can control, we are still in a good situation where we control all of our destiny.

"The focus on every day and every moment and removing stress will be really important for us to have success over the coming months."

Jesse Marsch pictured in 2019

Jesse Marsch was named as the new Leeds United manager on Monday

Marsch went on to pay tribute to the man he is replacing.

Bielsa's Chile were the first opposition Marsch encountered in his maiden coaching role as the USMNT's assistant manager in 2010.

Marsch said that since that first meeting with Bielsa he has "followed his career and watched what he has done from afar and certainly he is a hero here.

"How he has helped transform Leeds United into a Premier League team is pretty amazing.

"For me, I just want help to take the torch to the next phase, everything that has been done has laid and incredible foundation and coming in at this moment, I want to do everything I can to take the club into the next stage of our history."

Marsch's first game in charge of Leeds will come away to Leicester on Saturday, March 5, before Elland Road hosts his first home match against Aston Villa five days later.