The Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian delivered a rather mysterious statement in his after-game media briefing despite earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.
Yet, when questioned about Gusto's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his displeasure over the previous two days within the organization.
"How the lads are eager to develop has been superb and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with numerous issues, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because many people withheld support from us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City manager continued: "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 internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at supporters or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."
Fitness and Suspension Woes
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to losing 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, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our top player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the effort from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success over Everton cemented their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Speculation Over Maresca's Comments
It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the Italian had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match press briefing where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton team.
It was unclear whether any specific media reports had irked him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue related to the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.
