The Manager Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to the weekend's victory against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The Italian offered a puzzling statement in his after-game interview even after notching a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to four outings.
But, when asked about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period at the organization.
"The way the lads want to develop has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with so many issues, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people didn't support us."
Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 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: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."
Injury & Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to appreciate because the work from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, 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 Remark
It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he appeared at ease, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.
It was unclear whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.
