Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch believes his side will not be at a disadvantage when he serves his touchline ban against Aston Villa on Sunday (4:30pm kick-off). Villa will travel to Elland Road on the back of a win over Southampton, while Leeds fell to a heavy 5-2 defeat at Brentford, which saw Marsch receive a red card and fined £10,000 for improper conduct. Although the Whites’ boss is adamant his red card was the incorrect decision, he has reportedly not appealed the decision, out of respect.
Jesse March said: “I don’t agree with the decision that it was not a penalty on Summerville and even after they’ve had an independent panel look at it and say that they don’t think it’s a penalty, I disagree with that. I disagree with the red card that they gave me and I disagree with the suspension, however, I respect and accept the punishment, the ban and the touchline ban. I haven’t appealed it because I didn’t feel that I wanted to do that, I wanted to respect their decision.”
Speaking about being unavailable for Villa’s visit to Elland Road, the American boss sees it as a test for his team.
Jesse March said: “I believe that the team will be fully prepared and ready and I know that the staff will also do a really good job in my absence on the touchline. I’m just banned from the touchline, I can be with them before the match and at half-time in the dressing room. I’ll watch the game from the gantry and I’ll have communication with the staff. I actually like the vantage point of being up high, I think it allows you to see the match better. I’ve often considered actually managing or coaching from that position, and then coming in at halftime and things like that. A big part of my leadership is about ownership and that’s first for the staff that, the staff comes every day with ideas and that they know they’re appreciated and valued so that they give everything they have to the common good and that when I make decisions, we’re all aligned because they’ve had their opportunity to affect everything we do. That’s the same way I treat the players. I want them to feel engaged. I want to them to feel valued, I want their opinions to be heard and I have the types of relationships with them where I challenge them to be good leaders, to be good people and to give everything they have to the common good. And I think that in moments like this, it will reward us and it’s a test. It’s a test to see how good we can be, how much we can be unified, how clear we are with everything on a day where I’m not right on top of everything.”
