Openly and directly, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca shared his feelings after the win over Everton thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo gust. The past 48 hours have been the worst since I joined the club, because too many people have not supported us, he said.
The Italian strategist admitted that this was a difficult time in his role as Chelsea manager. The Blues have gone through a run of four consecutive winless games: three Premier League games with defeat to Leeds and draws with Bournemouth and Arsenal, and a Champions League defeat to Atalanta.
A long period without a win has left Maresca feeling a lack of support. When asked by the media to clarify his statements and point out the person he was referring to, Maresca replied almost identically to before, adding just one more detail about the fans.
"The worst 48 hours since I arrived at the club because the fans didn't support me or the team. I love the fans and we are very happy to have them" - said the Chelsea captain.
In contrast, Maresca also highlighted Malo gust's impressive performance, who scored the second goal against Everton. "I am very happy for him. The efforts of Malo, as well as the whole team, show that everyone is here and wants to contribute to this club" - he shared.
Maresca also admitted his mistakes in the defeat to Leeds in the Premier League. "I take full responsibility for that match. It was my mistake in choosing the lineup and building the game plan, not the players'.
Currently, we are gradually improving, especially with all the problems that we have tried to solve since the first day" - he concluded.
Chelsea will try to maintain their excitement when visiting Cardiff City - the top team in League One - in the League Cup quarter-finals. Next, The Blues will travel to Newcastle in the Premier League, before ending 2025 with 2 consecutive home matches against Aston Villa and Bournemouth.
Chelsea's form is gradually stabilizing, but Maresca's statements off the pitch are still being seen as a "time bomb". At Stamford Bridge, victory is not necessarily everything, but the way of speaking and behaving is sometimes more important.
Chelsea have quickly dismissed reports that Maresca is at fault with the board, saying he is only disappointed by the recent series of unstable results, including defeats against Leeds and Atalanta.
However, history shows that Chelsea rarely be patient with coaches who openly criticize the board. Thomas Tuchel was sacked after helping the club win the Champions League, partly because of his strained relationship with the owners.
In this context, the British media has begun to mention potential candidates to replace Maresca if the situation worsens, notably Oliver Glasner, Liam Rosenior, Andoni Iraola and even Frank Lampard. Regardless of Maresca's future, the "48 worst hours" statement is clearly the start of a turbulent period at Stamford Bridge.
