The Manager Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Club
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old made a puzzling comment in his after-game press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points propelled Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four matches.
Yet, when asked about Gusto's assist and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period at the club.
"How the lads want to improve has been superb and this is the reason why I commend them - because with so many challenges, they are excelling after a tricky week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because several people didn't support us."
Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."
Fitness & Suspension Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was five 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 without our best player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments
It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton team.
It was unclear whether any specific 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 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 during July last year.
