The Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as The 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Blues
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to Saturday's victory against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The 44-year-old made a somewhat cryptic message in his after-game interview despite securing a 2-0 win at home courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points propelled Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to consecutive matches.
However, when asked about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the previous two days within the organization.
"How the squad are eager to develop has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with numerous challenges, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he said.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people withheld support from us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the ex- Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. In general," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Fitness and Suspension Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as being deprived of 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 have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season without our top player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's success over Everton cemented 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 in the coming days.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match press briefing where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.
It was hard to discern whether any particular media reports had irked him, if social media discourse played a role, or if it was something more significant 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 still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July last year.
