The Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Lead-Up Period as The 'Worst Two Days' at the Club
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious message in his after-game media briefing despite notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive matches.
However, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his frustration over the previous 48-hour period at the organization.
"The way the lads are eager to improve has been superb and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with numerous challenges, they are excelling after a difficult week," he said.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people withheld support from us."
When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City boss elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans."
Injury & Suspension Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension issues, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I really praise 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, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our best player.
"We play five games in the Premier League minus 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 recognize because the work from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated 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 next week.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that period, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.
