The Manager Enzo Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's win against Everton represented "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced with the London club.
The Italian delivered a rather mysterious statement in his after-game interview even after notching a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to four fixtures.
However, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca surprisingly shared his annoyance over the previous two days within the club.
"The way the lads want to learn has been excellent and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he stated.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people withheld support from us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people within at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Fitness & Suspension Woes
Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary problems, remarking they had been without star attacker 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 played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are doing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season minus our top player.
"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people externally to appreciate because the effort from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.
In that period, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he seemed at ease, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton team.
It was unclear whether any specific media reports had irked him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue involving the club's fans, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.