The Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The 44-year-old made a rather mysterious message in his after-game press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at home courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.
However, when asked about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the previous two days within the club.
"How the players want to learn has been excellent and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous challenges, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he said.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because a lot of people failed to back us."
Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Fitness and Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I really applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was five 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 without our best 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 externally to recognize because the work from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Speculation Over Maresca's Comments
It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-match press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.
It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.
