Gary Lineker erred in his assessment of Leeds United’s decision – journalist

According to James Smalles, Gary Lineker was incorrect about the managerial sackings at Leeds United last season.

On Monday (4 December), the Match of the Day host stated that the teams that “stuck by their manager” remained in the Premier League, while the Whites, Leicester City, and Southampton were relegated after making changes during the previous season.

However, on the LeedsLive website on Tuesday (5 December), journalist Smalles stated that there will be few who believe Leeds should’ve kept Jesse Marsch for the season, arguing that the club’s “biggest mistake” was not letting the American “go sooner” before he was replaced by Javi Gracia in February.

“Gary Lineker has suggested the teams which stayed up last season did so because they stuck with their managers, while the likes of Leeds United who had a change in the dugout didn’t help themselves by making a significant change,” Smalles said in a statement.

“While Lineker was attempting to preach the virtues of stability and highlight the dangers that can accompany a change in manager, it’s difficult to find many Leeds fans who believe that keeping Jesse Marsch for the entire season would have resulted in safety rather than the relegation that eventually followed.”

“In fact, most would argue Leeds’ biggest mistake was not letting Marsch go sooner before the break for the World Cup, rather than wait until the season resumed.”

Mess

This is a difficult argument to make because Leeds’ situation was likely different from that of the other clubs relegated.

Many people believe Marsch wasn’t the right man for the job in the first place, and that he was on borrowed time long before he was fired.

That is why, while the decision to relieve him of his duties was not necessarily incorrect, the mistake was in appointing Gracia as his successor.

Brendan Rodgers and Ralph Hasenhuttl had stronger arguments to stay at Leicester City and Southampton after much longer tenures and relative success with players they knew inside and out.

It’s not a decision the Whites can afford to dwell on, though, because Daniel Farke is the new manager, and he’s tasked with restoring the club to the Premier League this season.