Jesse Marsch lays out the harsh realities as Leeds United try to face down Premier League's big guns

The beauty of the Premier League is, so we are regularly told, that anyone can beat anyone.

Leeds, for example, travelled to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City two seasons ago and even after having a man sent off, still won. But with every passing year, England's top division is becoming more unequal.

Marsch is not blind to what that means for his own team.

The good news from Wednesday's Elland Road game against the reigning champions is that the scoreline was not as brutal as last season's 7-0 and 4-0 beatings but that had more to do with rusty City's wastefulness than the Whites’ doggedness.

Leeds worked hard and defended well in patches but there was a chasm between the teams wider than the 3-1 result made clear. And now they travel to Newcastle United.

In an unprecedented season with a World Cup in the middle of it we could – only could – see the Manchester City-Liverpool duopoly of the last five broken but there will be no David, no Leicester City, no Morocco, upsetting the Goliaths.

Saudi Arabian wealth shoved Newcastle into English football's VIP enclosure with Arsenal’s aristocrats.

So the coach of one of England's grand old clubs, three times champions of this country, five times runners-up, three times winners of Europe's lesser prizes and once runner-up in the biggest is not about to roll out any hopes of Christmas fairytales as his club ends a difficult 2022 at a ground once again starting to punch its footballing weight.

"I would love to say that we want to win every match and are in a position to do that but with the reality of who we are right now that is not realistic," admits Marsch.

A look at their spending after 16 years out of the Premier League shows Leeds have no sugar daddy, no oil-rich nation to fast-forward them. The only way to move forward is patiently. It probably also means there is a glass ceiling, but even that is a long way off just yet.

"We have to stay really focused on improvement, becoming the team we want to become and continuing to develop and grow," says Marsch, brought in as a builder, not a dreamweaver. "We believe in our players, we believe in our mentality and are going to get better, we know that.

"I want to represent exactly what I want us to be, which is about controlling what we can control, our ability to live in the moment and push each other on a daily basis to stay strong in the toughest moments, that is what I have to represent with my behaviour.

"The difference between when I arrived and now is the group understands me and understands more the football we want to play. There's belief in what we are doing. It's about continuing to stay true to our process and push every day.

"It's the behaviour of the players and development. A lot of guys have developed a lot since I have been here. I think Robin Koch is playing the best football of his career and Pascal (Struijk), Tyler Adams (back from suspension in Newcastle), Marc Roca, Rodri(go), Sam Greenwood and Cree Summerville are.

"The guys who have been a big part in how we continue to evolve are really showing that they are in really good phases of their career."

The hope for the rest of the league was that once the petrodollars turned Newcastle from a Sports Direct team to a Harrod's one they would lose sight of that evolutionary process and just buy the shiniest players they could.

They have been shrewder, opting for recruits like Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn, and seeing existing players such as Joelinton and Miguel Almiron flourish.

"Newcastle are most dangerous in transition," warns Marsch. "We gave away three goals in transition (against City). We have got to be better in those moments.

"They are very good in wide spaces in one-v-one situations and very dangerous once they get into the attacking third. We need to just continue to work on our defensive responsibilities and our understanding of how to be more stable.

"It's quality too. Man City and the quality they have on the pitch and the energy they have when they lose it do make it difficult for you.

"The Man City game will be different to the Newcastle game. It's a different tactical game and will require a different kind of matchplan and emphasis.

"But for sure, managing their dangerous players or controlling them from creating big chances and scoring goals will be the key."

Unless Leeds are careful it could be a chastening way to ring in 2023.

As for Newcastle, could they?

"I think I read that their expected goals, they are the best team over the last four months," notes Marsch. "It's a good team, well-coached, organised and dynamic."

But could they, Jesse?

"It's hard to say," he replies. "It's really competitive this year. There's Man City, Arsenal, Newcastle, Tottenham, Man U are playing better, Liverpool are getting going."

It shows what exalted company Leeds are keeping after years in the wilderness, and hammers home how hard it will be to compete with them on a consistent basis.