Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as His 'Worst Two Days' with the Club
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The 44-year-old made a rather mysterious comment in his post-match press conference even after earning a 2-0 win at home courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.
However, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his annoyance over the preceding 48-hour period at the organization.
"The way the lads are eager to develop has been superb and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of challenges, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people failed to back us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss elaborated: "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 responded: "In general. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."
Fitness and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game 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 minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus our top player.
"We play five 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 recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous what exactly caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-match press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.
