Chelsea's Manager Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.
The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive outings.
However, when asked about Gusto's contribution and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period within the club.
"How the squad want to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I praise them - because with so many challenges, they are excelling after a complicated week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because many people didn't support us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very content with the fans."
Fitness and Suspension Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I really commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.
"We play five 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 want people externally to recognize because the work from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.
