The Boss Enzo Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as His 'Worst Two Days' with the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to Saturday's victory against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The 44-year-old made a rather mysterious message in his post-match press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to consecutive fixtures.
But, when asked about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca surprisingly shared his displeasure over the preceding two days within the club.
"How the squad are eager to develop has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with numerous challenges, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he said.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people failed to back 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 asked if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are very pleased with the fans."
Injury and Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's ongoing fitness and disciplinary problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I really commend 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 minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season without our best player.
"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their position in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled next week.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Comments
It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.
In that window, the coach had returned with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a session at Cobham, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared at ease, and secured a win over an in-form Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy 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 still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.
