The Manager Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as The 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton was "the most challenging 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.
The 44-year-old offered a rather mysterious comment in his after-game media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those crucial points propelled Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the team's winless run to four outings.
Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and overall display, Maresca surprisingly divulged his frustration over the previous two days within the club.
"How the lads want to develop has been excellent and this is the reason why I commend them - because with a host of issues, they are performing admirably after a tricky week," he stated.
"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people withheld support from us."
When pushed further on his meaning, the former Leicester City manager elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When asked if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was aimed at supporters or the media: "I adore the fans and we are extremely happy with the fans."
Fitness & Disciplinary Crisis
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been without key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.
"I really applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season without our top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's triumph over Everton cemented their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.
Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark
It was unclear what exactly caused Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.
In that window, the Italian had returned with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.
It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if online discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.