Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Pre-Match Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Club
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton was "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.
The 44-year-old delivered a puzzling message in his after-game interview even after notching a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches.
But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his frustration over the previous two days within the organization.
"How the lads are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with numerous issues, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people failed to back us."
Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Fitness and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly 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 explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to recognize because the work from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark
It was not immediately clear what exactly caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that timeframe, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.
It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.