Leeds United defender Robin Koch believes the summer was vital to get their organisation right.

The Whites were almost relegated last season, but saved themselves under boss Jesse Marsch in the final weeks.

The American has since had a pre-season to get the players buying into his philosophy of the game, which is slightly different from former coach Marcelo Bielsa.

In an interview with Sport Buzzer, Koch stated that the squad was much stronger, while the players had the summer to learn the manager's tactics.

He said: "We had extreme injury problems last season and slipped into the bottom. We strengthened ourselves well in the summer, our squad is now broader, we have high quality.

"It was also important to have a complete preparation with Jesse Marsch. It was simply a matter of keeping us in the league. He used the summer to teach us his idea of the game.

"We defend more collectively under him. That's the main difference to Marcelo Bielsa. There, we defended more man-to-man.

"I was able to learn a lot under him (Bielsa) and have developed a lot thanks to him. He is crazy about football and has incredible expertise. He demands a lot. The training is extremely intense. You have to follow along as a player and be willing to learn."