The Boss Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to the weekend's triumph against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.
The Italian offered a puzzling comment in his post-match media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to four fixtures.
Yet, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly shared his frustration over the preceding two days within the club.
"The way the lads want to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with numerous issues, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because many people didn't support us."
When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Injury and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary issues, noting 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-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, 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 without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to recognize because the work from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark
It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was unclear whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter involving the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.
