Chelsea's Manager Maresca Labels Pre-Match Time as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Blues
Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the run-up to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The Italian offered a puzzling comment in his post-match press conference even after notching a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps improving the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's drought without a win to consecutive matches.
Yet, when questioned about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his frustration over the preceding 48-hour period within the club.
"How the players want to develop has been superb and this is the explanation why I commend them - because with a host of issues, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he commented.
"From the moment I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people didn't support us."
When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the media: "I love the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Fitness & Suspension Crisis
Maresca also pointed 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 being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.
"I truly praise the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them without Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer playing, we 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 want people outside to acknowledge because the effort from the players is fantastic."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come next week.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments
It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea manager.
In that period, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, held a session at Cobham, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton team.
It was unclear whether any specific press stories had irked him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter involving the club's fans, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.
