The Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious statement in his after-game press conference despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those crucial points lifted Chelsea back 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 consecutive matches.
Yet, when asked about Gusto's contribution and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his frustration over the preceding two days within the club.
"The way the lads are eager to improve has been superb and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he said.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people didn't support us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager added: "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 internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."
Fitness and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I truly praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place 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 Remark
It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.
