The Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious statement in his post-match press conference even after earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to four fixtures.
But, when asked about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca surprisingly shared his frustration over the preceding two days at the club.
"How the lads are eager to develop has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with a host of issues, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he said.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because many people failed to back us."
Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager added: "Worst 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 answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Fitness and Suspension Woes
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus our top player.
"We play 5 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 acknowledge because the effort from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous who or what prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.
