Jesse Marsch replies to Leeds fan after challenging Sam Allardyce fitness claim | OneFootball

Jesse Marsch has challenged Sam Allardyce’s suggestion that Leeds United’s fitness levels dropped after Marcelo Bielsa, then engaged a supporter during the ensuing debate on X.

Allardyce oversaw the final four matches of the 2022/23 relegation run-in, taking one point after Marsch was dismissed in February and Javi Gracia left in early May. According to yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, he raised concerns last week about reduced running metrics since Bielsa’s exit.

Leeds had been renowned for intensity under Bielsa, who delivered promotion in 2020 followed by ninth place in the Premier League. Allardyce’s comments sparked a quick response from Marsch, now coaching Canada, once a clip of those remarks circulated on X.

He questioned the claim and reposted a video of the remarks with a table of Premier League physical outputs. The origin of the data was unclear, but it listed total distance, sprint distance, high-speed runs and number of sprints, among others.

In that table, Leeds were ranked top in seven of eight categories and placed second for sprint distance.

One supporter, using the handle @jessicaad285, replied that no one cared for either viewpoint and that relegation spoke for itself. Marsch answered that he had kept the team up, adding a thinking emoji.

He did keep Leeds up after succeeding Bielsa midway through 2021/22, but he was involved in the following season’s struggle. Across 22 league games in 2022/23, his side sat 17th when he left, above the drop on goal difference after two wins in 17.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk