Enzo Maresca’s comments on Saturday have put into sharp focus again how tough and demanding it is managing Chelsea.
Maresca described the two days leading up to the win against Everton as the worst 48 hours of his time at the club.
He did not want to go into details but Chelsea had lost twice and drawn twice going into Saturday’s game and the scrutiny Maresca is under – internally and externally – when his side are not winning can be intense.
Something triggered Maresca and it is significant that he made the comments during an answer to a question about how well Malo Gusto had played against Everton.
Maresca had been criticised after last Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Atalanta for bringing on right back Gusto to play as a No 10 and for not playing Estevao.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Chelsea’s win against Everton in the Premier League.
Maresca receives technical feedback from Chelsea’s football leadership team after every game and there is a massive amount of comment across the media when things are not going well.
A defeat can feel like a crisis and four games without a win – even though they beat Barcelona 3-0 last month – can feel like the end of the world.
That scrutiny is always going to be more intense when Chelsea are not winning. Maresca has a good relationship with the reporters who cover the club but there is little he can do about what former players say and what appears on social media.
One theory is that Maresca said what he said in order to protect his players and create an “us against them” mentality.
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Sunday Supplement takes a closer look at Enzo Maresca’s cryptic post-match comments after Chelsea’s 2-0 win at home to Everton and how it could be the start of a narrative moving forward.
In any case, it is not doom and gloom at Chelsea. They are fourth in the Premier League and a win at Cardiff City on Tuesday night would get them into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
Maresca still has credit in the bank after winning two trophies and getting Chelsea back into the Champions League in his first season.
The plan has always been for Chelsea to review his position next summer – after he has been at the club for two years.
A summer review is standard practice for everyone at the club but one was not possible last summer because Chelsea were playing in the Club World Cup.
‘Many people didn’t support me’ – What Maresca said
In his post-match press conference after Chelsea beat Everton, Maresca revealed he had suffered his “worst 48 hours” since joining the club.
“The last 48 hours has been the worst since I joined the club because many people didn’t support me and the team,” he said. “In general.”
Asked whether he was talking about the club’s supporters, he added: “I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans.”
