René Marić reveals the specific nature of his Leeds United role in Jesse Marsch backroom team

René Marić sat down with the press following Leeds’ 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Barnsley on Wednesday night.

Standing in for Jesse Marsch, who would take the following day’s pre-match press conference ahead of Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend, the 29-year-old coach answered questions on a variety of topics.

Ranging from his personal coaching experiences, to the players at United and how he sees his specific role at Elland Road, the ex-Borussia Dortmund assistant came across well.

“It's very interesting to work with him [Marsch] because he's on top of all these things. I have to admit that I really like it here, I feel I’ve settled in quite well, not just [with] Jesse, but the whole staff,” Marić said.

"I'm obviously relatively fresh, so it's more [to do with] serving, looking at how things are done and just sharing my thoughts, my experiences with the staff and Jesse and again, as I mentioned, I think the quality is a very pleasant surprise, that is so high in every department of the club,” he added.

Marić used a specific term to describe his role under the American head coach, dubbing himself a ‘service provider’.

Marsch already has trusted colleague Franz ‘Frankie’ Schiemer as an external coaching consultant, the former Austria international taking a step back from assistant head coach duties at the end of last season.

Marić appears to have stepped into that fold and has already been seen deep in conversation with Marsch and fellow first-team coach Mark Jackson in the dugout and technical area during Leeds’ first four games of the season.

Cameron Toshack and Ewan Sharp – both members of the backroom team, as well – took up positions in the gantry against Barnsley, offering a more aerial and tactical view of proceedings, something which looks set to become a permanent posting based on their vantage points in previous fixtures.

"Sometimes you have an idea for a specific drill because you maybe did it already before,” Marić said of his role. “Sometimes it's maybe a small tweak here and there, but in general, I like to call it a service provider for the club, for the players and for the rest of the coaching staff and especially the coach.”

The bulk of Marić’s coaching experience has come as assistant to German manager Marco Rose, first at FC Red Bull Salzburg, before following him to Borussia Monchengladbach and then onto perennial Bundesliga runners-up Borussia Dortmund.

He has arrived with a vast array of experiences at the highest level as well as a reputation for having an innovative tactical mind.

While Jackson has been tasked with perfecting Leeds’ attacking and defending set-piece routines, Marić’s role appears much more holistic in its approach as assistant to Marsch.