The Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as The 'Worst 48 Hours' with the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to Saturday's victory against Everton constituted "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian made a somewhat cryptic comment in his post-match press conference despite securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to four outings.
Yet, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his displeasure over the previous two days within the club.
"The way the squad want to improve has been excellent and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with a host of issues, they are excelling after a tricky week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because several people failed to back us."
When pushed further on what he meant, the ex- 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 meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."
Injury and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I really commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.
"We play 5 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 like people outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments
It was not immediately clear who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the most difficult of his time as Chelsea manager.
In that period, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton team.
It was unclear whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.
