Man Utd could be stung by Jesse Marsch sacking after Arsenal warning

Manchester United could soon become the latest victims of the famed new manager bounce after Leeds United decided to part ways with Jesse Marsch on Monday afternoon. The 49-year-old was relieved of his duties after less than a year at Elland Road off the back of Sunday’s defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest, which sees them hovering narrowly above the Premier League’s drop zone with the business end of the campaign right around the corner.

Marsch was drafted in towards the end of last season to fill the void left by Marcelo Bielsa’s departure and managed to keep Leeds afloat on the final day of the campaign, but struggled to make any sort of positive progress in recent months despite being heavily backed in the transfer market. The Whites are firmly expected to appoint a new manager at some point in the not-too-distant future, with West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan said to be the early frontrunner as things stand.

It remains to be seen whether Leeds will have sourced Marsch’s replacement before Wednesday’s game against the Red Devils, who are set to play their rivals twice in the space of a week over the next few days. Their original meeting at Old Trafford earlier in the season was originally planned for September but was postponed in the wake of the Queen’s death, leading to a rescheduled double-header in the space of five days.

United could find themselves on the receiving end of a stinging blow from Leeds if Corberan or another candidate is appointed by the Yorkshire club before then, with Arsenal feeling the full effects of the new manager bounce last weekend at Goodison Park. They were left empty-handed when Everton, who had not won in the Premier League since October, kept the Gunners at bay under the guidance of Sean Dyche in his first managerial outing with the Toffees to claim all three points against the odds.

JUST IN: Chelsea backed to repeat Mudryk hijack with £30m bid for Mitoma

It was clear to see the lift that Dyche’s arrival at Everton had on their squad over the course of the 90 minutes, with every single player digging deep to see out an important victory after James Tarkowski headed them in front on the hour mark. United could face a similar outcome against Leeds if the Whites have a new manager in place by Wednesday, while the Red Devils may also be stung if the managerial search of their rivals is wrapped up before Sunday’s meeting at Elland Road.

A number of other names have been linked with the Leeds job since Marsch was dismissed on Monday, with Sporting manager Ruben Amorim and former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino among those to have been mentioned in connection with the Yorkshire club this week. Rayo Vallecano head coach Andoni Iraola is also in the hat for the role, according to The Athletic, with the 40-year-old believed to be one of several bosses on the club’s radar at present.

DON’T MISS

Leeds are said to be looking for a long-term appointment to lead them for several years to come as opposed to a stop-gap solution with the sole aim of keeping them in the Premier League between now and the end of the season. They currently sit just one position above the relegation zone on the same number of points as 18th-placed Everton with a game in hand on the Toffees, although this will be played against United on Wednesday evening at Old Trafford.

It will be important for Leeds to make their appointment as quickly as possible in order to allow the new manager to implement his chosen style before the run-in begins to heat up, with just 18 games remaining for the Whites to steer clear of danger and ensure top-flight football for at least another season. Whether or not the situation will be resolved before Wednesday’s match remains to be decided, but it would almost certainly benefit Leeds to have settled things before taking on the Red Devils away from home.

Want the latest Premier League news as we publish it on Express Sport? Join our Facebook group by clicking here.