The Boss Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as His 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The Italian made a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match media briefing despite securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive outings.
But, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and general performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his displeasure over the preceding two days within the organization.
"The way the squad want to develop has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of problems, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he said.
"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because several people didn't support us."
Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss continued: "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. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Injury & Suspension Woes
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I truly praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"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 there, we have said many times that he's our finest 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 reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Speculation Over Maresca's Comments
It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.
In that window, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton team.
It was unclear whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.