The Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.
The Italian made a rather mysterious statement in his after-game media briefing despite securing a 2-0 win at home through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those crucial points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to consecutive outings.
Yet, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.
"How the lads want to develop has been superb and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of problems, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he said.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because many people withheld support from us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 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 responded: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very content with the fans."
Injury and Suspension Crisis
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I really commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season minus our best player.
"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to recognize because the effort from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton side.
It was unclear whether any specific press stories had irked him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.
