The Manager Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's win against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The Italian made a puzzling statement in his post-match interview even after securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive outings.
However, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the previous two days at the club.
"The way the squad want to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of problems, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he stated.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people didn't support us."
Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Injury & Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I really commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our best player.
"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to appreciate because the commitment from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match press briefing where he appeared at ease, and secured a win over an in-form Everton team.
It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.
