Chelsea's Manager Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as The 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Club
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian offered a somewhat cryptic comment in his post-match press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to consecutive outings.
Yet, when asked about Gusto's assist and general display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his frustration over the preceding two days at the organization.
"How the lads are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with so many issues, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people didn't support us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Fitness and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension issues, remarking they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I really praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League without 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 acknowledge because the commitment from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Speculation Over Maresca's Remark
It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and secured a win over an high-flying Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific 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 only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.
