Chelsea's Boss Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as His 'Toughest 48 Hours' at the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's win against Everton was "the most challenging 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The Italian offered a rather mysterious comment in his post-match interview despite earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points propelled Chelsea once again 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 side's winless run to consecutive outings.
However, when asked about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the previous 48-hour period within the organization.
"How the players are eager to improve has been superb and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with so many challenges, they are performing admirably after a complicated week," he said.
"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because several people didn't support us."
Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Injury and Suspension Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker 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 minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer playing, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season minus our top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted 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 cemented their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.
Speculation Over Maresca's Remark
It was unclear who or what prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.
In that timeframe, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton team.
It was unclear whether any specific media reports had irked him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny 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 in July last year.
