Ruben Amorim has revealed Manchester United “need more players” in the mould of Noussair Mazraoui after the Moroccan international’s impressive start to life under the club’s new head coach.
Signed from Bayern Munich in the summer for just £12.9 million, Mazraoui has proved a revelatory figure in defence for the Red Devils with his versatility and technical ability allowing him to play anywhere along the backline.
The Moroccan replaced Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who joined West Ham for £15 million, in what constitutes a rare piece of excellent business at Old Trafford.
Under previous manager Erik ten Hag, Mazraoui was most often deployed at right-back or, given the long-term absences of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, left-back. The Dutchan even deployed the 27-year-old as a number ten in an away match against Fenerbahce in the Europa League, underscoring Mazraoui’s talents on the ball.
However, Amorim has chosen to play the Moroccan as a right centre-back in his trademark 3-4-3 system; with impressive results.
Mazraoui has started all three of the Portuguese coach’s opening games in England, drawing rave reviews from Amorim despite the unfamiliar position.
Following Mazraoui’s strong showing in Amorim’s opening game against Ipswich Town, the former Sporting Lisbon manager praised his new defender as “so smart and so important for us” in his post-match interview.
And ahead of Wednesday night’s crucial trip to the Emirates to play Arsenal, Amorim again name checked Mazraoui as a “top player”.
“[Mazraoui] understands the game. He knows how to attack, he’s very technical. He’s very good defensively, very good one-on-one and is a modern player.”
🙏 “He is the future of our team.”
Ruben appreciates @NMazraoui97 ahead of our trip to Arsenal 🫶#MUFC || #PL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 2, 2024
Amorim describes the Moroccan as the “future of our team” – a reference to both the quality of Mazraoui as a player, but also his profile in terms of recruitment at Old Trafford moving forward.
“When you think about [Mazraoui], you think we need more players like [him] that can control the tempo. They are really really good and comfortable with the ball, and they understand the game.”
Amorim spoke of United’s need to improve through “more possession with the ball” after the 1-1 draw against Ipswich. And given the 39-year-old coach’s system uses only a midfield pivot, there is an expectation the central defenders will step up and help the team in possession and build up play.
Mazraoui’s potent pairing of technique and athleticism, with a football intelligence cultivated in the esteemed academy of Ajax, makes him an ideal candidate for this role. And his new head coach evidently wants the club to recruit more players with this selection of attributes moving forward.
Therefore, while the Moroccan was a target identified by a former Ajax manager in Ten Hag, it’s the Dutchman’s successor in Amorim who will benefit the most from the decision to bring the talented and versatile defender to Old Trafford.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
