Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' with the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's victory against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The 44-year-old made a rather mysterious message in his post-match press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches.
However, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and general display, Maresca surprisingly shared his frustration over the previous two days at the organization.
"The way the players are eager to learn has been superb and this is the reason why I praise them - because with so many issues, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he stated.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people didn't support us."
Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City boss elaborated: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Injury & Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension issues, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I really commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to appreciate because the effort from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's success over Everton consolidated their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-game news conference where he seemed at ease, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton side.
It was unclear 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 only sought to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.
