Chelsea's Boss Maresca Calls Pre-Match Period as His 'Worst Two Days' with the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca revealed that the build-up to Saturday's triumph against Everton constituted "the most challenging 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The Italian made a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at home courtesy of finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points lifted Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially lightening the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's drought without a win to four fixtures.
But, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his displeasure over the preceding two days within the organization.
"How the players are eager to develop has been superb and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with so many problems, they are excelling after a complicated week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because several people didn't support us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."
Fitness & Suspension Crisis
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and disciplinary issues, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I really commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are doing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.
"We play five 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 externally to recognize because the effort from the players is remarkable."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their standing in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the coach had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game press briefing where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an high-flying Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had irked him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.
