The Manager Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as His 'Toughest Two Days' with the Blues
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to the weekend's victory against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The Italian made a rather mysterious comment in his after-game interview despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to consecutive fixtures.
Yet, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his frustration over the preceding 48-hour period at the organization.
"The way the lads want to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many challenges, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people didn't support us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When asked if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans."
Injury & Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our top 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 happy for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the effort from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online comments played a role, 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 involving the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.