Chelsea's Boss Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as The 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Club
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian made a somewhat cryptic comment in his after-game interview despite earning a 2-0 win at home through goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to four fixtures.
Yet, when asked about Gusto's contribution and general display, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the preceding two days within the organization.
"How the players are eager to develop has been fantastic and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people withheld support from us."
Pressed on what he meant, 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 asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very content with the fans."
Fitness and Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension problems, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I truly applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing brilliantly. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season minus our top player.
"We play 5 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 like people outside to recognize because the effort from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.
In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, faced 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 press stories had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.