Chelsea's Manager Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as His 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's win against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian delivered a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match media briefing even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.
Yet, when asked about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his frustration over the preceding 48-hour period within the club.
"How the lads want to develop has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with so many issues, they are excelling after a tricky week," he said.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people failed to back us."
Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans."
Injury and Suspension Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I really praise the players and the squad because we 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 performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus our best player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the work from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter related to the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July 2024.
