Chelsea's Manager Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as His 'Toughest Two Days' at the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.
The Italian offered a rather mysterious message in his after-game interview even after securing a 2-0 win at home courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those crucial points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive outings.
But, when questioned about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period at the organization.
"How the squad are eager to learn has been excellent and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with a host of issues, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people didn't support us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Injury and Suspension Crisis
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I truly 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, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season minus our top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to recognize because the effort from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments
It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.
In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.
It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had irked him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.
