The Manager Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as The 'Worst Two Days' with the Club
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to the weekend's victory against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic message in his after-game media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those crucial points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to four matches.
But, when asked about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his displeasure over the preceding two days within the organization.
"The way the lads are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many issues, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he said.
"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people didn't support us."
Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."
Fitness & Suspension Woes
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 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 performing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our best 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 reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to appreciate because the effort from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.
