How Leeds United’s start to the season compares to Jesse Marsch and Marcelo Bielsa after six games

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Daniel Farke will almost certainly look at the Premier League table with a mix of pride and regret as Leeds United sit comfortably in mid-table, six games into the season.

Although most Leeds United fans would have gladly accepted eight points from the opening six games of the Premier League season before the first game, there is a niggling sense of what could have been.

A last-minute goal meant Leeds had to settle for a point against Bournemouth in a game Daniel Farke feels his side could have won. This follows the heartbreaking defeat against Fulham, with Gabriel Gudmundsson scoring an unfortunate late own goal.

Had Leeds held firm in those two games, Farke’s side would have 11 points and be sitting in the top four, alongside the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham.

Despite this, Farke’s start compares well to those achieved by his predecessors in recent seasons in the top flight, as Marcelo Bielsa and, subsequently, Jesse Marsch attempted to keep the Whites in the top flight.

2020/21 – Marcelo Bielsa – 10 points from six games

Leeds stormed back into the top flight in the 2020/21 season under legendary coach Marcelo Bielsa, and this season remains the high watermark for the Whites in the period following their relegation in 2003/04.

Until the game against Bournemouth, Farke had gone stride-for-stride with Bielsa’s side, picking up seven points from their first five games.

However, Bielsa led Leeds to a win in their sixth game of the 20/21 season, as Patrick Bamford scored a memorable hat-trick against Aston Villa, to climb into seventh place.

Leeds managed to maintain their momentum on this occasion, winning 18 games on their way to a ninth-place finish with 59 points in total.

2021/22 – Marcelo Bielsa – Three points from six games

If Bielsa’s first season back in the Premier League was the gold standard of how to follow a promotion, his second season was quite the opposite.

Despite the momentum that Bielsa had built over several seasons, Leeds failed to sufficiently refresh their playing squad, relying on the core of the team that won promotion to repeat their success once again.

A wonder strike from Luke Ayling was not enough to save Leeds from a 5-1 opening day defeat against Manchester United, and a home defeat against West Ham meant Leeds ended matchweek six with just three points.

Leeds eventually secured their first win of the season the following week against Watford, but they remained embroiled in a relegation battle, which ultimately ended Bielsa’s time at the club.

Jesse Marsch replaced Bielsa and eventually secured a dramatic escape from the relegation zone, as Leeds finished the season on 38 points, with nine wins.

2022/23 – Jesse Marsch – Eight points from six games

After a brush with relegation the following season, Marsch was given the chance to show he could steer Leeds away from the bottom three.

The departures of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha were offset by a raft of new arrivals such as Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams and Marc Roca as Marsch put his stamp on the Leeds squad.

The outlook looked good at Elland Road after five games, as Marsch amassed eight points, one point more than Farke has so far. However, the sixth game was an ominous sign of what was to come.

Leeds slumped to a 5-2 defeat away at Brentford, the first of six games without a win, which saw them slide down the table into a relegation battle. The Whites were eventually relegated under Sam Allardyce, with 31 points and seven wins, meaning they took just 23 points from 32 games from this point on.