The proposition of Chelsea’s trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United on Sunday just took a whole new turn.
The Red Devils have just made the decision official to sack Erik ten Hag, after a really poor start to the season in the Premier League.
The Blues were no doubt eager to take on United in the form and moment they were in, however now the prospect has completely changed.
Over the summer there was a lot of talk over if the Red Devils would make a change to their manager then, even after winning the FA Cup and knocking Chelsea down to the Conference League.
While the Blues twisted their hand and replaced Mauricio Pochettino, the same did not occur at Old Trafford.
Manchester United considered hiring Enzo Maresca before Chelsea
However, this was apparently not for the want of trying. Ben Jacobs has claimed that United considered the appointment of Enzo Maresca before this season got underway.
He said: “As an aside, told Enzo Maresca was another name Manchester United considered as part of their succession planning over the summer, although appreciation didn’t lead to anything.
“Chelsea moved decisively knowing they weren’t the only club considering Maresca and had him in place long before Manchester United even completed their Ten Hag review.”
It is clear that Chelsea were convinced Maresca was the right man for the job at Stamford Bridge, and this seems to have been proven the case up to now.
Maresca managing Jadon Sancho better than Erik ten Hag
His excellent start to life as a Premier League manager has seen the Blues sit just outside the top four of the table right now.
There has been particular praise for the way the boss has handled Jadon Sancho since he joined the club. It was no secret that Ten Hag struggled with Sancho in Manchester.
The loanee dropped to the bench for their last Premier League game against Newcastle, however it will surely not be long before he forces his way back into the side again.
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