The Manager Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as The 'Most Difficult Two Days' at the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to Saturday's victory against Everton was "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

The 44-year-old delivered a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match media briefing even after securing a 2-0 win at home thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea once again into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's winless run to consecutive outings.

Yet, when asked about Gusto's assist and overall display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his annoyance over the previous 48-hour period at the club.

"How the lads want to develop has been fantastic and this is the reason why I commend them - because with numerous challenges, they are excelling after a difficult week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because several people failed to back us."

Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City manager added: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. In general," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension issues, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.

"I really applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing brilliantly. Today was 5 games in 12 days so undoubtedly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to appreciate because the work from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their standing in 4th place in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle scheduled next week.

Speculation Over Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the Italian had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at Cobham, attended a pre-game news conference where he appeared at ease, and engineered a victory over an in-form Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any specific media reports had unsettled him, if social media comments played a role, or if it was something deeper from within the club at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, some of whom have still have yet to fully embrace him since his arrival from Leicester during July 2024.