Jesse Marsch says Leeds United's bravery and refusal to feel sorry for themselves behind 'one of the best results I've ever seen'

Jesse Marsch said the key to Leeds United's second incredible comeback win in the space of a week was not feeling sorry for themselves, and that bravery is the only option under his management.

It was not just the fact Leeds were 2-0 down at half-time against Wolverhampton Wanderers or even the fact they were defending appallingly, but also that they had already lost Patrick Bamford, Diego Llorente and Mateusz Klich to injury, and Illan Meslier would go off early in the second half.

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Marsch called it one of the best results he had ever seen.

ECSTATIC: Jeese Marsch celebrates Rodrigo's improbable equaliserECSTATIC: Jeese Marsch celebrates Rodrigo's improbable equaliser
ECSTATIC: Jeese Marsch celebrates Rodrigo's improbable equaliser

Helped by a second yellow card for Raul Jimenez for the challenge which took Meslier off, Leeds scored twice in quick succession to level the scores, then added a stoppage-time equaliser scored by Luke Ayling to move seven points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

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It came on the back of Sunday's 2-1 victory against Norwich City despite the Canaries equalising in stoppage time.

"The best part was we talked at half-time a little bit about tactics but more about not feeling sorry for ourselves," said Marsch, who was taking charge of Leeds for only the fourth time.

"It was easy after three injuries and a late goal in the half to be down 2-0 to be thinking it was not our day and what do we do know but I tried to encourage them if we had a good start to the (half) and we could find a goal, momentum would change.

"We got a bit lucky that they picked up a red card but I think it was deserved at the same time and they you saw the quality of men with no subs left after the 50th minute with injuries but guys dug in and pushed the game to stay tough.

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"To have young guys on the pitch and deliver performances like that says a lot about the character of the men we have and they deserve a lot of credit.

"I'm learning more and more what the identity of Leeds United is - it's gritty, it's hard, it's about belief, it's about never saying die, it's about giving everything you have to the match and these young man do that in a big way. What a result!

"I told them it was not just one of the best results of my career but that I've seen in the game."

Leeds were as chaotic defensively as in the final games before Marcelo Bielsa was sacked, but Marsch had no regrets about sending his team out to be so positive.

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"I made the decision to try to go after them because I'm still trying to get the team to work on their aggression," he stressed. "We could have potentially been little bit more compact and limited the space for them to play but if you do that in certain moments you worry about the players being too passive and Wolves being able to beat you with some of their positional play and their attacking midfielders moving around - (Daniel) Podence is such a a good player, (Joao) Moutinho is such a good player that when they have time and space they can kill you.

"At half-time even knowing the game didn't go the way we wanted, to still find a way to change it and believe we could have a good start to the half and if we found a goal, we could change that.

"It's part of the process of learning to play this way. They have to be aggressive, they have to be intense, they have to be brave. If you don't want to play brave football I'm not your right manager."

Bamford was in tears after going off in the 23rd minute, but Marsch did not think the injury was as serious as that suggested. It was only his second start since mid-September.

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"With his plantar fasciitis it's just been sensitive over the last couple of weeks as he tried to get himself back," argued Marsch. "He was very disappointed and the reaction can look like a bad injury but I don't think it is, I think he was just really disappointed to have to come off the pitch.

"Diego Llorente had a little bit a back spasm which has been bothering him a little bit here and there and it probably means he'll stay here for the international break (despite having been called up by Spain) and we'll treat him and get him back to full health.

"Mateusz Klich had a concussion but he seems to be okay; Illan picked up little bit of a hip contusion and we'll see what that looks like in the coming days but I don't think it looks too bad."

Stuart Dallas was caught by a nasty-looking Moutinho tackle in the build-up to Rodrigo's equaliser but had to play on because Leeds had used four substitutes, allowed an extra one because Klich's was a concussion injury.

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Marsch's opposite number Bruno Lage agreed that the second yellow card for Jimenez was decisive but unsurprisingly took a different view on whether it was correct. The Mexican striker collided with Meslier as the goalkeeper rushed out of his area, and picked up the injury which ended his night.

"We were a much better team against Leeds when it ws 11 against 11," he said. "That decision changed the game.

"For me the bad decision is by the (video assistant referee) watching on TV.

"In the Premier League or the Championship, at 2-0 it is not over yet."

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