🔗 Share this article Chelsea's Boss Enzo Maresca Labels Lead-Up Period as His 'Worst Two Days' with the Club Enzo Maresca signed for Chelsea after leaving Leicester during July of last year. Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club. The 44-year-old offered a puzzling statement in his post-match press conference even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto. Those three precious points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches. Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his annoyance over the previous two days within the organization. "How the players are eager to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of problems, 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 toughest because many people withheld support from us." When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team." When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans." Injury and Disciplinary Woes Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries. "I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained. "And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player. "We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic." Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their position in fourth 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. Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager. In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side. It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge. Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.
Enzo Maresca signed for Chelsea after leaving Leicester during July of last year. Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club. The 44-year-old offered a puzzling statement in his post-match press conference even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto. Those three precious points propelled Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches. Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his annoyance over the previous two days within the organization. "How the players are eager to improve has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of problems, 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 toughest because many people withheld support from us." When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team." When asked if he was referring to people within at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very happy with the fans." Injury and Disciplinary Woes Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries. "I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he explained. "And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player. "We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic." Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their position in fourth 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. Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager. In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side. It was not obvious whether any particular media reports had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge. Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.