Chelsea's Manager Maresca Labels Lead-Up Period as His 'Worst Two Days' with the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The 44-year-old made a puzzling comment in his post-match interview despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those crucial points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.
However, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his frustration over the previous 48-hour period within the organization.
"How the lads want to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because several people withheld support from us."
Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Fitness and Suspension Crisis
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I really praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the effort from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that window, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.
