Chelsea's Boss Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's triumph against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic comment in his post-match press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to four fixtures.
Yet, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the preceding two days within the organization.
"The way the lads want to develop has been superb and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of challenges, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people didn't support us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."
Fitness & Suspension Crisis
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I really praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best 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 like people externally to appreciate because the effort from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Speculation Over Maresca's Comments
It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.
In that window, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton team.
It was unclear whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.