The Manager Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as His 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian offered a puzzling comment in his post-match press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at home through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.
Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the previous two days within the organization.
"How the squad are eager to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he stated.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because many people withheld support from us."
Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Injury and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I truly commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to recognize because the commitment from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's success over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.
It was unclear whether any specific media reports had irked him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.
