The Boss Maresca Labels Lead-Up Time as His 'Toughest Two Days' at the Club
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to the weekend's win against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious statement in his after-game media briefing even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points propelled Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.
Yet, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his frustration over the previous two days at the organization.
"The way the lads are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with numerous issues, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because many people failed to back us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Injury and Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I truly commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter 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 the vast majority of the season minus our best player.
"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the commitment from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's success over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip 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 head coach.
In that window, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.
It was unclear whether any particular media reports had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.
