The Boss Enzo Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' with the Club
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the build-up to Saturday's victory against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The Italian offered a puzzling message in his post-match media briefing even after earning a 2-0 win at home courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points sent Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.
However, when asked about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his frustration over the preceding two days within the club.
"How the squad want to learn has been excellent and this is the explanation why I applaud 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 previous 48 hours have been the worst because several people withheld support from us."
Pressed on what he meant, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When asked if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Injury and Suspension Woes
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I really praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing 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 almost all season without our top player.
"We play 5 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 like people outside to recognize because the commitment from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.
Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was not immediately clear who or what prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-game press briefing where he appeared at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.
It was hard to discern whether any particular media reports had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter related to the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.
