The Manager Maresca Describes Pre-Match Time as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Blues
Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the run-up to Saturday's victory against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.
The 44-year-old made a rather mysterious message in his post-match press conference even after earning a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps improving the mood following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to four matches.
Yet, when questioned about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his displeasure over the preceding two days at the organization.
"The way the squad want to develop has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with numerous problems, they are performing admirably after a difficult week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people withheld support from us."
When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City manager continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When asked if he meant people within at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. Overall," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards supporters or the press: "I adore the fans and we are extremely pleased with the fans."
Injury & Suspension Crisis
Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been without star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the campaign, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two significant injuries.
"I truly commend the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he said.
"And this squad, regardless of who is playing, they are performing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season without our top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the commitment from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's win over Everton strengthened their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled in the coming days.
Speculation Over Maresca's Comments
It was not immediately clear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his time as Chelsea head coach.
In that period, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from his native Italy, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and secured a victory over an in-form Everton team.
It was hard to discern whether any specific press stories had irked him, if online comments played a role, or if it was something more significant from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's fans, some of whom have still have yet to fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.
