The Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The Italian made a rather mysterious message in his after-game interview even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those crucial points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive outings.
Yet, when asked about Gusto's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his frustration over the preceding two days within the club.
"The way the squad are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with so many challenges, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he said.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because many people withheld support from us."
Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City boss elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When asked if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."
Fitness and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to losing linchpin 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 have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly 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 want people externally to appreciate because the effort from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous who or what prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.
In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton team.
It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had irked him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.
