Enzo Maresca, Arne Slot and more: What to expect from new Premier League bosses

Five new additions to the Premier League will enter this season with a point to prove, wishing to put their fresh and exciting styles of football on display.

Here is what we can expect from the head coaches.

Enzo Maresca

The departure of Mauricio Pochettino from Stamford Bridge came as somewhat of a surprise, given that the Argentinian had recovered from what was a disastrous start to last season, with Chelsea finishing in sixth.

However, with the blues failing to secure a place in the UEFA Champions League, Maresca has now been drafted in to introduce a new, high pressing style of football.

The 44-year-old comes off a successful stint at Leicester City last season, overseeing the Foxes’ promotion back to the Premier League.

Maresca, a former West Bromwich Albion midfielder, has previously worked under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Yet, as a Premier League head coach, there are doubts about his credentials after Chelsea lost three of their pre-season friendlies, exposing their defensive vulnerabilities by conceding 12 goals in total.

Arne Slot

Taking over from vastly accomplished Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be Slot.

Despite enjoying a successful three years at Feyenoord – winning the Eredivisie title and Dutch Cup, before reaching the UEFA Europa Conference League final in 2022 – the Dutchman is, at least in comparison to his predecessor, a relatively unknown entity.

Nevertheless, the 45-year-old enters this season off the back of a positive pre-season tour, securing wins over Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United.

Kieran McKenna

McKenna has already proved his worth at Ipswich Town by clinching back-to-back promotions after taking over in 2021, bringing the club back up to the Premier League for the first time since 2002.

After retiring from his playing career at the age of 22, the former midfielder became an academy coach at Tottenham and Manchester United, before working alongside Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.

Now, with an impetus to play out from the back, the 38-year-old looks to continue developing his style at the newly promoted club.

Fabian Hurzeler

Following Roberto De Zerbi’s move to Ligue 1 side Marseille, Brighton recruited Hurzeler to build on their somewhat disappointing 11^th-place finish last season.

With lofty expectations at the club, after their fine run of form in recent years, Hurzeler will have a significant weight on his shoulders when he becomes the youngest manager to take charge of a Premier League match.

The 31-year-old comes off a solid spell at St Pauli, implementing a possession-based style of football to oversee their promotion to Bundesliga.

Russell Martin

Martin will continue his managerial career in the Premier League after clinching promotion for Southampton in his debut season at the club.

Like Hurzeler, the former Norwich City defender is known for inspiring a possession-based style of football, and will hope to cement the Saints’ place in the top flight of English football after an encouraging season in the Championship.

While the 38-year-old has previously managed MK Dons and Swansea City, his greatest success as of now has come at St Mary’s.

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