Arne Slot into favourite for Leeds United job after Jesse Marsch sacked

James Wilson Updated: 07 Mar 23 15:03 Published: 06 Feb 23 15:24

Current Feyenoord boss Arne Slot is the new favourite for the Leeds United job after the club parted ways with American manager Jesse Marsch.

Leeds' dismal form sees the Elland Road club lie 17th in the Premier League table, with only goal difference sparing them from the relegation drop zone.

The Whites have failed to win in the league since 5th November, and club bosses have decided to bite the bullet with former RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig boss Jesse Marsch in a desperate attempt to preserve the team's Premier League status.

We take a look at what went wrong for Marsch at Leeds and the runners and riders in the race to replace him in the manager's hotseat in West Yorkshire...

Marsch mellowed as Leeds wield the axe

Marsch replaced Marcelo Bielsa as Leeds manager in February 2022 with the club in relegation danger, with the American helping the Whites stay up with a dramatic final day victory at Brentford.

Leeds appeared to be in a better place at the beginning of this Premier League campaign under Marsch's stewardship, too, with the West Yorkshire side taking seven points from their opening three games including an outstanding 3-0 win over Chelsea at Elland Road.

It has been pretty much downhill from that point onwards, however, with this youthful Leeds side comprised of a host of new signings struggling to pick up points despite rarely being outclassed. Indeed only in three of Leeds' 10 Premier League defeats this season have they gone down by more than one goal.

It's this struggle to pick up results and points which ultimately proved to be Marsch's downfall, with Leeds winning just four of their 20 league matches so far. Having mustered just 26 goals from 20 matches, it's perhaps in attack where Marsch's side have largely come undone.

The 49-year-old leaves behind a good squad of players, having been heavily backed in the January transfer window with expensive signings such as Weston McKennie, Georginio Rutter and Max Wober, and the new boss will certainly have quality at his disposal to work with as Leeds strive to beat the drop.

bet365's Steve Freeth said: "Leeds are now level on points with Everton and they haven’t won a Premier League game since bonfire night, so it comes as no shock to see them part company with Jesse Marsch.

"Leeds fans love Marcelo Bielsa and unsurprisingly there has been support for the 67-year-old to make a return, but I’d be amazed to see the Argentinian moving back into that one-bedroom flat in Wetherby anytime soon."

Rather than a sensational return for Bielsa to Elland Road, Steve believes the appointment of his former right-hand man Carlos Corberan, currently in charge of West Brom, would have made more sense.

However Corberan signed a new contact with the West Midlands club this week, seemingly distancing himself from the top job at Elland Road.

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We take a look at the early candidates to replace Marsch as Leeds United manager...

Arne Slot

Latest odds - 4/5

Current Feyenoord manager Arne Slot has raced to the front of the betting in recent days and is now the favourite to take over at Elland Road.

The 44-year-old spent his whole career in the Netherlands as a player and managed fellow Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar before his move to Feyenoord where he earned the highest points per game record of any previous AZ manager.

The Dutchman enjoyed a successful first season at the Rotterdam club, leading them to a third-placed finish in the league and winning the Eredivisie Manager of the Year award, beating off competition from current Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.

Andoni Iraola

Latest odds - 6/5

Regarded as one of the most promising young coaches in Spain, 40-year-old Andoni Iraola is likely to be well known by Leeds' Spanish Sporting Director Victor Orta.

The former Athletic Bilbao right-back, who worked under Marcelo Bielsa at the Basque club, has achieved some stunning feats in his fledgling managerial career. He has taken both CD Mirandes and Rayo Vallecano to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, as well as earning promotion with the latter to La Liga and leading them to as high as fifth place in the table this season.

Leeds have proven to be open to thinking outside of the box with their signings and managerial appointments, and they may view Iraola as a left-field gamble worth taking in order to get the best out of their current squad which boasts a number of technically gifted players.

Carlos Corberan

Latest odds - 25/1

West Brom manager Carlos Corberan was the immediate frontrunner to take over from Marsch at Elland Road, having steered the Baggies from second-bottom of the Championship table into the play-off positions since taking charge in October.

There is already a pre-existing link between Leeds and the 39-year-old Spaniard, with Corberan working under popular ex-Whites manager Marcelo Bielsa as the club's Under-23s boss and first team coach as they earned promotion back to the Premier League in 2020 after a 16-year absence from the top-flight.

His subsequent work as a manager in his own right at first Huddersfield, who he guided to third place and the Championship play-off final in 2022, and this season's exploits with West Brom, have earned Corberan a reputation as one of the best young coaches in English football.

Corberan signed a new contract at the Hawthorns this week as the club acted quickly to the news coming out of Yorkshire, and it would appear that he is now set to stay at West Brom for the foreseeable future.

Marcelino

Latest odds - 25/1

A highly regarded coach in Spain, Marcelino has managed a host of top La Liga clubs including Sevilla, Villarreal, Valencia and Athletic Bilbao.

The 57-year-old has been out of work since leaving Athletic Bilbao at the end of last season, and may view a move to the Premier League with Leeds United as an exciting new challenge in his management career.

Marcelo Bielsa

Latest odds - 33/1

A hugely popular figure amongst the Leeds fanbase, after inspiring the club back into the Premier League in 2020 after a 16 year absence, Marcelo Bielsa has been linked with a sensational return to Elland Road.

It seems unlikely the legendary Argentine coach will be reinstalled in the Leeds hotseat just a year on from his departure, but stranger things have happened.

Ralph Hasenhuttl

Latest odds - 25/1

Out of work since being sacked by fellow relegation battlers Southampton in November, Austrian Ralph Hasenhuttl may view the Leeds United vacancy as the perfect opportunity to return to the Premier League.

In charge of the Saints for four years, Hasenhuttl's Premier League experience and high-pressing coaching ethos may deemed a good fit for this current Leeds squad by the club's board.

Ange Postecoglou

Latest odds - 25/1

Ange Postecoglou's work north of the border with Scottish champions Celtic appears to be turning heads at Premier League clubs, with Leeds perhaps tempted to make a move for the Australian in an attempt to salvage their season.

Postecoglou has not only delivered trophies to Parkhead, two and counting with the Hoops currently nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership, he has done so with great style and panache. The former Australia national team manager's attacking coaching philosophy is likely to impress the decision-makers at Elland Road.

Mauricio Pochettino

Latest odds - 33/1

Undoubtedly the most ambitious move Leeds could opt for, Mauricio Pochettino would be following the path of his mentor Marcelo Bielsa should he take the unlikely next step in his managerial career at Elland Road.

Pochettino began his professional playing career under Bielsa at Newell's Old Boys, sensationally winning the Argentine league title together in 1991, with the former Spurs and PSG boss on record underlining the impact his old boss has had on his life and coaching ethos.