Enzo Maresca has weighed in on the debate surrounding Manchester United’s appointment of Ruben Amorim, insisting he ‘knows the way’ the Portuguese manager tries to play.
The Red Devils confirmed the 39-year-old as their new head coach on Friday, just four days after dismissing Erik ten Hag with the side languishing in 14th in the Premier League.
Amorim joins from Sporting Lisbon on a two-and-a-half-year deal, which the club can extend for a further 12 months.
As part of the agreement, the manager will remain in charge of his current side for three final matches, so will not be in the Old Trafford hot seat as they welcome Maresca’s Chelsea outfit on Sunday.
Despite not facing up against the Portuguese manager this afternoon, the Blues boss has delivered his verdict on the Premier League’s latest arrival.
Enzo Maresca weighed in on the debate surrounding United ‘s appointment of Ruben Amorim
The Chelsea boss said: ‘It’s a fantastic style, how they defend, the way they attack so for sure, I don’t have any doubt that he’s going to do a great job’
He said: ‘Ruben Amorim will do a great job at Man United. I have watched many Sporting games and know the way they play’.
‘It’s a fantastic style, how they defend, the way they attack so for sure, I don’t have any doubt that he’s going to do a great job.’
Maresca’s emphatic words of praise come just hours before he takes his side to Manchester in a bid to continue a good run of form.
Chelsea are sixth in the league, with 17 points from nine matches, but can soar as high as third with a win at Old Trafford this afternoon.
Ten Hag’s former assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy remains interim coach while United await Amorim’s arrival and the Dutchman made a good start to his brief tenure on Wednesday with a convincing 5-2 victory over Leicester.
He said: ‘Erik ten Hag brought me back to Manchester United in the summer and, while I have only been part of the coaching staff here for a few months, I will always be grateful to him for giving me the opportunity, and I am saddened to see him leave.
‘Even on an interim basis, it is a great honour to manage the club I love for however long I am asked to do so. I promise that I will continue to give my all, in whatever capacity, to try and turn around our fortunes.
‘Despite our results, I am loving being back at Old Trafford and working with the team and staff every day. We’ve seen the squad’s potential at times this season, but clearly not often enough.
‘Now is the time for everyone at the club to work together, give everything and turn this season around while we have time. From my experiences as both a player and a coach here, I can say for sure that when players, staff and supporters pull together, Manchester United can be unstoppable.’
United acted quickly in securing their new manager but that’s not to say they did not encounter some obstacles along the way, with Mail Sport revealing earlier this week that Amorim, 39, had a notice period within his Sporting Lisbon contract.
Erik ten Hag was finally dismissed on Monday after months of speculation
In his first game in the hot seat on Wednesday, the interim coach led the Red Devils to an entertaining 5-2 win over Leicester
Man United are currently six points adrift of Sunday’s visitors Chelsea in the Premier League
Following negotiations United are understood to have paid €1m on top of the £8.3m release clause to secure an early departure which will allow the new man to use the international break to familiarise himself with his surroundings before his first match in charge, which will be at Ipswich Town on November 24.
In the meantime, van Nistelrooy will oversee the visits of Chelsea and Leicester City, which sandwich a Europa League home fixture with PAOK.
The Dutchman’s future remains undecided but United stars are reported to be ‘desperate’ for the former Red Devils striker to stay on in some capacity under Amorim.
