The Boss Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as The 'Toughest Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian offered a puzzling message in his after-game interview even after earning a 2-0 win at home through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches.
But, when asked about the full-back's contribution and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his frustration over the previous two days at the club.
"How the lads are eager to learn has been superb and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with a host of issues, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he said.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people didn't support us."
Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City boss continued: "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 within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Fitness and Suspension Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing fantastic. 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 finest 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 explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to recognize because the work from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented 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 scheduled next week.
Uncertainty Over 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 window, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton team.
It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.