Manager Comments
Leeds United (1) 2-3 (1) Fulham
Premier League Match Day 12 22-23 at Elland Road
Sunday 23rd October 2022 KO: 14:00
Referee:
Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
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Fulham manager Marco Silva was pleased with how his side battled back after going behind at a packed Elland Road.
"Both sides didn’t have the normal week to prepare, but we still prepared ourselves really well and the players stuck to the plan. Even though we went 1-0 behind, the way we reacted and came back away from home was great.
"I’m delighted for our players and we knew at the beginning of the match the pressure would be tough, but we also knew there were moments we could show our quality to beat that pressure.
"We were strong in set piece moments, so we prepared the team well for that. The players deserve the credit, and so do the fans."
When asked about our impressive league position, Marco said: "For us, it doesn’t change anything. After going down to 10 men against Newcastle and then losing in that strange match against West Ham, nobody panicked in that moment at our football club.
"On the other side, now we are not over the moon. We are pleased as we deserved the three points and we got them, but now is a moment to rest and analyse the game and then go to the next one with full focus again."
With Aleksandar Mitrovic netting his ninth of the season, the boss was full of praise after full-time.
"Mitro is a top player and he has been great for us over the past few years and also his national team. He’s a really important player and he’s more than just a goalscorer. As a team, we are confident and we are here to embrace the challenge. I’m here to get the best from my players."
Our number nine went down in the first half, but Marco assured the media that it was nothing too serious.
"He felt it in that moment, but we assessed it at half-time and he told me that he was ok to keep going. I asked him again in the middle of the second half and he said to me the same again. The feedback from the player is always the most important."
Marco was also asked by the media about Andreas' excellent performance.
"He has been outstanding this season. I know a lot of people had doubts when I decided to sign him but I knew his qualities and his character.
"Even last season we had a conversation about his future but it wasn’t the right moment for him to join us. He’s a key player on and off the ball and with set pieces. Two assists this afternoon. A top professional who is enjoying himself at the moment in a white shirt. The three midfielders all played an amazing game today."
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Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch
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Leeds’ under-fire boss Jesse Marsch has declared his players will “do whatever it takes” to win Sunday’s home Premier League game against Fulham.
A section of travelling Leeds fans turned on Marsch’s side after Thursday night’s 2-0 defeat at Leicester left them winless in seven matches.
Marsch admitted he was feeling the heat, but remained defiant as Leeds sit above the relegation zone only on goal difference.
He said: “We need to use the pressure in a way to motivate us to be clear. The clarity of what exactly the game will need will be the most important thing.
“I know they’ll be ready to run and fight and do whatever it takes. I know they have that and then it’s just making sure they do it in a way that helps us win the match.”
Leeds took seven points from their first three matches, but their promising start to the season has faded and frustration is mounting on the terraces.
A section of travelling fans booed them off the field at the King Power Stadium after they lost their way against a fragile Leicester, who climbed off the foot of the table.
Chants for former head coach Marcelo Bielsa rang out from the away end, but March insisted post-match that he was not angry with his players.
“No no,” he said. “It’s about shaping them to understand that we have to stop the bleeding. What can I say to them after this match? Everyone’s crushed.
“So I have to find a way to keep them strong and to keep them believing in what we’re doing.
“I think the work has been good from every perspective, from my staff, from our physical team. We don’t have a lot of injuries, we have a lot of guys who are ready to go.
“I don’t think individual performances were terrible, I think we just need collectively to still find a way to manage moments and in both boxes take care of what we need to take care of.”
Marsch added: “From a leadership and football perspective, I’m trying to analyse everything without over-analysing, that’s the key.
“You can get stuck in a circle if you start thinking about every little detail.
“The vibe and the mood has been good, but now we’ve got to dig deep and do what we can for Sunday.”
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Source Ethan Georgiou at Fulham FC/William Jackson at Leeds-Live