Leeds: Jesse Marsch backs himself to get the best out of Raphinha in relegation scrap

Jesse Marsch is backing his development skills to get the best out of Raphinha and save Leeds from relegation.

The talented Brazilian has scored only once in 11 games coinciding with United’s slide towards relegation trouble and the sacking of Marcelo Bielsa.

American Marsch needs a result against fellow strugglers Norwich on Sunday having lost his first two games in charge but has a track record of helping attacking players.

Raphinha has scored just one goal in 11 games as Leeds have dropped closer to the bottom three

At New York Red Bulls he mentored Tyler Adams who is now a Bundesliga star at Leipzig and at RV Salzburg, Marsch managed Patson Daka, Enock Mwepu and Hwang Hee-Chan – all of whom subsequently moved to the Premier League.

‘Raphinha is clearly a special player,’ acknowledged Marsch. ‘I like his talent and I have had a lot of success working with young talented attacking players.

‘I’ll keep working with him to help him understand how he can fit into what we’re doing. The team is always the most important, but with every individual you have to get to know what makes them tick, how they respond to good and bad things, and get to the core of it.

Jesse Marsch has a track record of helping attacking players improve at previous clubs

‘I have had some good interaction and conversations with them. His role has changed a bit in terms of tactically what I want him to do on the pitch, but he’s responded really well.

‘He’s another guy who wants it so bad. He tries everything he can but what happens with all of them is it becomes individual instead of it being the collective and how it all fits together.’

Leeds have lost six matches in a row, failing to score in their last four, and their fans are aware the last time they were relegated from the Premier League, it took them 16 years to get back.

As the biggest one-club city in England, representing a population of 800,000, the partisan support should be an advantage. However supporters chanted Bielsa’s name during Thursday’s 3-0 home defeat against Aston Villa and Marsch knows he needs results to alter the mood.

Struggling Leeds face a must-win clash against bottom of the table Norwich on Sunday

‘I have learned in this business not to take anything personally,’ said the 48-year-old American.

‘I am tasked with a job to do. I understand part of it is managing fans and their opinions but the best way is to make the team perform in the ways that I know they can.

‘When I’ve interacted with fans, I have the found the people here kind and warm. That can change if the team doesn’t perform. I am very aware of that, and I am okay with that.