Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The 44-year-old delivered a rather mysterious message in his after-game media briefing even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive matches.
However, when asked about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.
"The way the lads are eager to develop has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous challenges, they are excelling after a complicated week," he said.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because several people didn't support us."
Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."
Injury & Suspension Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season without our best player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.
In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-match press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an in-form Everton side.
It was hard to discern whether any particular media reports had irked him, if social media comments 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 appointment from Leicester during July last year.
