The Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as The 'Toughest Two Days' at the Blues
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's win against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The 44-year-old offered a puzzling comment in his post-match interview despite securing a 2-0 win at home through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive outings.
But, when questioned about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period within the club.
"How the lads are eager to develop has been superb and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with numerous challenges, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because a lot of people didn't support us."
Pressed on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "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 queried if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."
Fitness and Suspension Crisis
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I really praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.
"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the commitment from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.
Speculation Over Maresca's Remark
It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, faced a pre-match press briefing where he seemed at ease, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an issue related to the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.