The Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian made a puzzling message in his post-match media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at home through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches.
However, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his displeasure over the preceding two days at the club.
"How the squad are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with so many issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he said.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because several people didn't support us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans."
Injury & Suspension Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, 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 applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without 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 best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.
"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to acknowledge because the effort from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was ambiguous who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he seemed at ease, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton team.
It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.
