Chelsea's Manager Enzo Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as The 'Toughest Two Days' with the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to Saturday's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old offered a puzzling statement in his post-match press conference despite securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to four fixtures.
But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his frustration over the preceding two days within the club.
"How the lads are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with numerous issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he said.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people failed to back us."
When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City boss elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Fitness and Suspension Woes
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I really applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to appreciate because the effort from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton strengthened their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Speculation Over Maresca's Comments
It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.
It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had irked him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.
