The Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Period as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Club
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton was "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The 44-year-old offered a puzzling statement in his after-game media briefing even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points sent Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.
Yet, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his frustration over the previous 48-hour period at the club.
"The way the squad want to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous problems, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he said.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because several people withheld support from us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Injury & Suspension Woes
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I truly commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing brilliantly. 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 best player but we play almost all season without our best 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 like people externally to recognize because the effort from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton team.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.
