The Manager Maresca Calls Pre-Match Period as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's win against Everton was "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old offered a puzzling statement in his post-match media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to four fixtures.
But, when questioned about Gusto's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding two days at the organization.
"How the lads want to develop has been superb and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many issues, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he stated.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people didn't support us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Fitness and Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus our top player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to appreciate because the work from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark
It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.
In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had irked him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care 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 arrival from Leicester in July last year.
