Jesse Marsch said he and the Leeds United board have been “unified” over his long-term future after Crysencio Summerville‘s 89th minute goal sealed a 2-1 win at Liverpool and silenced the American’s critics at the club.
Leeds supporters had turned on Marsch during defeats against Fulham and Leicester City, which saw the team drop into the Premier League relegation zone following a winless run dating back to mid-August.
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Chants calling for Marsch to be sacked, as well as songs for previous manager Marcelo Bielsa, had placed the former RB Leipzig coach under huge pressure ahead of the trip to Anfield.
But after goals from Rodrigo and Summerville clinched a first Leeds win at Liverpool since April 2001, Marsch said he was calm about his future.
“Everybody’s made a big deal about firing me, but the board and I have been unified and we’ve stuck together,” Marsch said. “We’ve been playing well, but not getting points.
“But this win was necessary to stop the bleeding for us and I want the players to enjoy the moment, but we have to use this to launch ourselves.
“I’m just happy for our team. I believe in them and I have told them that often. But in a moment like this, if you’re a real leader, your focus is on your people.
“At 1-1, when we were close with Fulham last week, we were waiting to lose rather than pushing to win. The best part of today was that we saw real resolve at 1-1 and the mentality to push, stay in the match and try to get the win showed resolve in the team.”
Several players, including Tyler Adams, Jack Harrison and goalkeeper Ilian Meslier, gave outstanding performances as Leeds claimed a deserved win.
And Marsch said that the performance proved that the players are supportive of him and his methods.
“I think they were [fighting for me] and fighting for us,” Marsch said. “They believe in what we are doing and it has been painful for all of us. We’ve all taken heat, nobody wants to go down, but what is on my mind is staying stable so the players can perform.”
