Chelsea's Boss Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as The 'Worst Two Days' with the Club
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The 44-year-old offered a puzzling message in his post-match press conference despite securing a 2-0 win at home courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points propelled Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to four outings.
Yet, when asked about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his displeasure over the previous two days within the club.
"The way the lads are eager to improve has been superb and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with a host of issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the worst because several people failed to back us."
When pushed further on his meaning, 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 questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."
Injury and Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension issues, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I truly commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, 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 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 appreciate because the work from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Speculation Over Maresca's Remark
It was ambiguous who or what prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper 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 arrival from Leicester during July last year.