The Boss Maresca Labels Pre-Match Period as The 'Toughest Two Days' with the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling comment in his after-game media briefing even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight'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 consecutive matches.
But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the previous two days within the club.
"How the squad are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with numerous problems, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he said.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because many people didn't support us."
Pressed on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."
Injury and Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I really commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus 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 commitment from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed at ease, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side.
It was hard to discern whether any particular media reports had irked him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.
