The Manager Maresca Calls Lead-Up Time as His 'Worst Two Days' at the Club

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the build-up to Saturday's win against Everton was "the toughest 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian delivered a somewhat cryptic statement in his after-game interview despite securing a 2-0 win at home through finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points propelled Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, perhaps lightening the atmosphere following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four outings.

Yet, when asked about the full-back's contribution and general display, Maresca unexpectedly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period at the organization.

"The way the lads are eager to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with so many issues, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he stated.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because many people withheld support from us."

Pressed on his meaning, the former Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are extremely content with the fans."

Fitness & Suspension Woes

Maresca also drew attention to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is on the pitch, they are performing fantastic. Today was five games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our best player.

"We play five games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the effort from the players is remarkable."

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

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Comments

It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea head coach.

In that window, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-match press briefing where he seemed at ease, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton side.

It was unclear whether any specific press stories had unsettled him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.