Chelsea's Boss Maresca Labels Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Club
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.
The Italian made a puzzling comment in his after-game media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to consecutive fixtures.
Yet, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding two days at the club.
"How the lads want to learn has been superb and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with a host of issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because many people withheld support from us."
Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Fitness & Suspension Woes
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I really praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was five 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 top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to recognize because the commitment from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final 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 previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that window, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.
It was unclear whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club 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 embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.
