Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic statement in his post-match interview even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to four outings.
But, when questioned about Gusto's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his annoyance over the preceding two days within the organization.
"How the lads are eager to develop has been superb and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with numerous issues, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he stated.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because many people failed to back us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. In general," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Fitness and Suspension Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I truly commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.
"We play five 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 want people externally to recognize because the effort from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.
Speculation Over Maresca's Comments
It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had irked him, if online discourse 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 issue involving the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.