‘Worst 48 hours’ since I joined Chelsea – Maresca

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca described the build-up to Saturday’s victory over Everton as “the worst 48 hours” since he arrived at the club.

The Italian delivered a cryptic message in his post-match news conference despite the 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

The three points, which lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League top four, might have improved the mood after defeat at Atalanta in the Champions League extended Chelsea‘s winless run to four matches.

However, when asked about Gusto’s assist and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly revealed his frustration over the previous two days at the club.

“The way the players want to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them – because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a complicated week,” he said.

“Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because many people didn’t support us.”

Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager added: “Worst 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 replied: “In general. In general,” before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: “I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans.”

Maresca also highlighted Chelsea‘s injury and suspension issues, pointing out they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.

“I really praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap,” he said.

“And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing fantastic. 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 without our best player.

“We play five games in the Premier League without 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 appreciate because the effort from the players is fantastic.”

Chelsea‘s victory over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

It was not clear exactly who or what Maresca was referring to, but it seemed obvious he was looking to send a message.

In the previous 48 hours, Chelsea had returned from his native Italy after defeat in Bergamo to Atalanta, held a single training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed and ended a four-game winless run by beating Everton.

It was clear from Maresca’s regular news conferences that he believed his tenure at Stamford Bridge had been a success so far.

He was proud to have won the Club World Cup and Conference League while qualifying for the Champions League in his first season. There had been mixed messaging over whether the latter was a target before the campaign, but it increasingly became a club objective after Chelsea made such a positive start under his leadership.

It meant Maresca ended last season ahead of schedule while delivering on the project. He had still not lost more than two league games in a row.

It is clear, therefore, that Maresca has felt exposed by criticism while managing the youngest squad in the Premier League. He has also been without Cole Palmer for most of this season, Moises Caicedo for several matches and Levi Colwill for the entirety of the campaign – all regarded as among Chelsea‘s best players in their positions.

This is the message Maresca has been trying to send for weeks, urging caution around title talk and insisting this was a new Chelsea compared to the one run by Roman Abramovich under previous ownership.

He had said this was a different Chelsea, one with a business model built around buying and selling young players, which made immediate success in the biggest competitions difficult. Yet some perceptions around the club remained that winning trophies was expected. In addition, Maresca rarely spoke beyond his news conferences, which explained why some fans had not warmed to him.

That was why frustration had grown, as Maresca felt he should be judged as if he were in a rebuilding job – having called for the same time given to Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta at Liverpool and Arsenal.

Chelsea have not commented, but senior sources believed it was a normal emotional reaction after an intense game. There has also been an acceptance that Maresca was speaking in his second or third language, and could not always be expected to deliver perfect news conferences.

It was clear Maresca walked into the media room to make a point after the match – he will next have the chance to explain himself on Monday, before their Carabao Cup quarter-final at Cardiff.