Ex-USMNT captain Alexi Lalas has discussed Jesse Marsch potentially becoming Southampton’s next head coach and has claimed that it’d be a ‘chef’s kiss moment’ for the American to steer the Saints clear of relegation at Leeds’ expense.
The 49-year-old, from Racine, Wisconsin, was fired on February 6 after nearly a year in charge of the West Yorkshire club, which looks set to be battling against relegation for the second straight season in the Premier League.
The Whites haven’t won any of their last nine league games and are currently sitting a point above the drop in 17th place.
Under Marsch, Leeds preserved its Premier League status on the final day of last season but has struggled again during this campaign and is without a win since November 5 — before the World Cup.
But, Lalas only has pity for one of two managerless teams in the league and it’s not Marsch’s old team. Rather, it’s the one that he’s been linked to ever since Nathan Jones’ sacking last week.
Alexi Lalas has backed Jesse Marsch to save Southampton from going down at Leeds’ expense
Marsch was fired as Leeds head coach barely a year after saving the club from releagtion
‘Can you imagine if this actually comes to fruition, and Southampton were to hire Jesse March,’ said the former U.S. defender on the latest episode of his State of the Union podcast. ‘Keep in mind that Southampton’s in last place right now.
‘And if he were to take them on a run and at the end, pip Leeds for staying up and then Leeds went down…Can you imagine the chef’s kiss moment for Jessie Marsch?’
Lalas went on to analyze the Saints’ strategy of targeting the former Red Bull Salzburg and Red Bull Leipzig head coach.
‘In reading this articles there seems to have been an appreciation, a long distance appreciation. Maybe a romance when it comes to how Southampton has looked at Jesse Marsch,’ he said. ‘But what’s confusing to me is what are they looking at him for? Because it’s not as if he has this history of coming in and saving teams.’
‘Notwithstanding what he did last year with Leeds, but this isn’t a break glass in case of emergency type of coach.’
Lalas then came to the logical conclusion that Southampton’s executives must be thinking long-term, if they are considering appointing the American as the team’s new face, rather than thinking of hitting rock bottom of the league.
‘So is this a much more long-term type of approach even with the understanding that if that doesn’t happen, and they go down, this is the guy who they want at the helm to lead them through the next year in the Championship and bring them back up, because they believe in him so much and it’s just fallen in their lap at this at this time.’
‘I don’t know. Again, if this happens, I will be very, very surprised. But good for Jesse Marsch that this is even in the news right now.’
Southampton is the only other team in the Premier League that remains without a head coach
Nathan Jones was given his marching orders this week after barely three months at the helm
‘And if it ultimately happens, they got themselves a good coach who’s going to be incredibly motivated here down the stretch, but it might be a bridge too far to figure out a way to keep them from going down.’
So the only real question that remains is: does Marsch absolutely need to take the Saints job if he’s given the nod?
‘It depends,’ claims Lalas, as the USMNT also remain coachless since the World Cup after Gregg Berhalter’s departure following a blackmail scandal involving Borussia Dortmund winger Gio Reyna and his parents, Claudio and Danielle.
‘I mean, we’ve talked about the US Men’s National Team. If there are talks going on behind the scenes, and I don’t know why there would be [any] because there’s still nobody working at the Federation that is supposed to be making these decisions,’ said Lalas, evoking the departure of Brian McBride from his General Manager role.
‘But if [Marsch] has the inkling that he is high on the candidate list for the US Men’s National Team then maybe he holds off.
‘Or maybe he says ”look, this is just a temporary type of thing. Give me the controls here. Let me see what I can do down the stretch. Maybe I can fire up some magic like you saw with Leeds last year. And I can save you. I can at least make a run here and then in the summer we’ll talk.” Maybe.’
Next up for Southampton is an away game at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
The team then travels to Leeds to take on the Whites in a relegation scrap.
Saints caretaker Ruben Selles is also in the running to take over the team on a full-time basis
Ruben Selles is currently serving as the club’s interim manager and was seemingly a major contender alongside Marsch in the race for the Saints job, according to HITC.
However, due to his inexperience in the Premier League, he’s been overlooked for a second time after being in the running to replace Ralph Hasenhüttl before Jones took over despite the Spaniard’s coaching experiences back in his homeland and in Denmark.
Meanwhile, Michael Skubala is to stay in charge of Leeds for the team’s ‘upcoming games,’ according to ESPN.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
