Enzo Maresca Thread

[ZAPHOD2319 4,395]

I wish you much success on the pitch and dealing with these owners. 

[Magic Lamps 11,618]

These long term deals for managers are ridiculous. Doesn’t change the fact he will be gone next summer, just increases the compensation they have to pay. 
with Potter likely going back, Brighton will soon have him plus the money we gave them for him. potter presumably is still living off the pay check of his life too. Clubs soon will be making a business model out of hiring coaches that play “possession football” and then basically renting them out to clownlake. Would at least save paperwork.  

[ZAPHOD2319 4,395]

• F1
• Tennis
• Boxing
• Women's Sport

 

Enzo Maresca is obsessed with total domination – just like his mentor

Likely new Chelsea manager takes his cue from Pep Guardiola but with only one season as main man the Italian will be under huge scrutiny

John Percy28 May 2024 • 7:21am

Enzo Maresca led Leicester to the Championship title CREDIT: Getty Images

 

When Enzo Maresca gathers his new Chelsea players together for the first time at the club’s Cobham training base, it will all be about “the idea”.

Maresca is the latest Pep Guardiola disciple to take a top job in the Premier League and, like his former mentor, is a head coach utterly devoted to his style of play.

This “idea” is a world of inverted full-backs, total domination of the ball, tiring opponents mentally and physically, ruthless breaking of lines and overloads. He will immediately outline his philosophy to his new squad and demand bravery and commitment. He will make it clear that mistakes are part of the process. Obsessed with the small details, he surprised Leicester players by insisting very early on that every pass has to be made to the correct foot.

 

It is a remarkable rise for the former midfielder, who is still said to hold his own during training games. To many observers, it will appear a huge risk from Chelsea’s ownership. Mauricio Pochettino’s exit last week was a surprise, and came after a stirring run over the second half of the season to secure European qualification. The impact of his departure has clearly been felt by his players, whose social media posts have told stories of sadness and shock.

Maresca has only completed one full season as a head coach, though he ended that campaign by lifting the Championship trophy. That was despite a late wobble which included six defeats in 10 matches, threatening to blow Leicester’s promotion bid off course. Polls on a fans’ forum even started to argue whether Maresca should be jettisoned before it was too late. Yet an emergency summit between the players, led by senior professionals such as Jamie Vardy, produced a defiant response which carried them over the line.

 

Despite a wobble towards the end of the season Leicester won the Championship in Maresca's first, and to date, only season as a head coach CREDIT: PA/Nigel French

Maresca’s brief reign at Leicester will also be damned with faint praise. It was always argued that as his squad was so talented and experienced, anything but promotion would have been deemed a failure. 

 

That is unfair, however. Maresca inherited a club on its knees after a surprise relegation, with key players such as James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and Harvey Barnes all leaving. To introduce such a unique, different style of play required courage and Maresca delivered promotion and a title.

‘Pep effect’ shaping recruitment

His dedication to positional play and unwavering commitment to a philosophy has clearly caught the attention of Chelsea’s hierarchy. After Mikel Arteta’s success with Arsenal, the Pep effect on coaches is now shaping the recruitment process of clubs across England and Europe. 

Chelsea too are seeking a new direction after the decision to part company with Pochettino, and believe Maresca can provide it. 

Maresca will be content working under the current structure, where he can devote all his time and energy to his players and the training ground culture.

 

Chelsea have been attracted by Maresca's dedication to positional play and unwavering commitment to a philosophy, something he picked up from Pep Guardiola at Man City CREDIT: Shutterstock/Adam Vaughan

Maresca has already worked with Cole Palmer at Manchester City, and he will be a focal point of the 4-3-3 formation that he likes to play. Full-backs will also be crucial to his style of play, with Leicester’s Ricardo Pereira and James Justin often moving inside to the midfield when the team was attacking. Willy Caballero, the former goalkeeper, is also one of Maresca’s coaches at Leicester and spent four years at Chelsea.

A father of four, Maresca readily admits that he can never switch off from football. He regularly spent proposed days off at Leicester’s vast training ground to prepare for the next challenge. 

Telegraph Sport was fortunate to spend an hour with Maresca in February, where he explained his approach in exquisite detail at the training base. He came to life when discussing tactics and his strategy, forensically explaining the 54-pass goal against Rotherham in December by pressing pause and play on my laptop.

This will be a new challenge for him at Chelsea. Expectations will be high and the narrative of painful defeats will be of a mini-crisis. He will be operating with a higher level of players, who have worked with managers far more decorated than him. 

 

Maresca will be Chelsea's seventh permanent manager in five years – can he stay longer at Stamford Bridge than his recent predecessors? CREDIT: Getty Images/Marc Atkins

Pochettino has left Chelsea in a good place, and the pressure will be on Maresca to continue their upward trajectory. The 44-year-old will be their seventh permanent manager in five years, and will know that past reputations can be trashed within months.

That is the reputation that Chelsea’s owners are desperate to move away from, and this appointment represents what they insist is a huge forward step in the journey. Maresca will relish the chance to expand “the idea”.

And what of Leicester?

They are facing a difficult summer with the prospect of a points deduction for breaching financial rules. Sources have estimated that the punishment could be anything between six to 15 points.

With Maresca likely to leave this week, they will have time to properly recruit a replacement. Contenders such as Graham Potter, the former Chelsea manager, and West Brom’s Carlos Corberan are likely to come into the mix.

There is still much room for optimism at Leicester, and this is a situation they have experienced before.

Maresca assured Leicester that he was happy to lead them in the Premier League earlier this month but, as they already know, football can change in an instant.

 

[KEVINAA 79]

Let's HOPE the LETTER M Surname has LUCK. Mourinho + Maresca = MM

Blessings of LUCK WINS to our GLORIOUS Chelsea and New Head Coach EM.

Edited May 28 by KEVINAA

[KEVINAA 79]

Redcafe forum.

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/enzo-maresca-Chelsea-manager-sack-watch.482904/

I linked it just so you can read their opinions.

 

Edited May 28 by KEVINAA

[ZAPHOD2319 4,395]

They do that at Red Cafe for every oppo manager.

[Vytis33 1,110]

Wish him the best of luck at Chelsea but is there a reason we need a 5 year deal?  Same thing we did with Potter.  And yet Poch with infinitely more top flight experience got a two year contract?  This ownership group baffles me

[cosmicway 1,295]

I 'm not against the idea of total domination and the passing ball.
But to score goals it must be done in an intelligent way.
Clever running off the ball is needed to create empty spaces.
Otherwise we are to expect goals from 70 yards out, like Caicedo's last one, or it's back to Hutch years with the throw ins.
Under Potter - Lamps - early on with Poch we were so predictable.

 

[Thor 2,358]

The more I read and see of him, the more I like it. 

Leicester's team in the championship was overhyped considering the amount they lost, and regardless - he was expected to win, and he did. From everything I've watched, they played some beautiful football at times, and faltered when the midfield was injured. Lucky for us - we've got plenty of decent midfielders. 

I think the likes of Nkunku, Cole, Sterling and Jackson play quiet well in tight spaces - so we will see. 

[cosmicway 1,295]

But we did play against Leicester this year.
What do you recall from that match ?
They came back into the game because of the Disassi howler but you think they showed anything ?

[Superblue 6,370]

I'm disappointed that the club didn't see the benefits in having some stability this coming season by keeping Poch. I think top 4 is very much there for the taking next season, particularly as we only finished 5 points off it this season despite languishing in mid table for much of it.

With the rumours of Pep looking likely to leave next summer, we could have been well positioned to potentially benefit from them possibly needing a transition period, and possibly kicked on towards putting a title challenge in.

Now by rolling the dice, if this doesn't work out and it's yet another season or two without Champions League football, it'll make things significantly harder than we've already found it. It's a massive risk.

I actually think Maresca has the makings of potentially a very good coach, and it's pointless knocking last season. Whether it was expectation or not, he's still won it with 97 points, second highest goals scored and least goals conceded. The quality of their squad and budgets may have suggested they should bounce straight back up, but so should have Leeds with a more experienced manager at the helm and they couldn't. 

Question marks over experience, but he has more than people like Arteta and Alonso who have proven to be astute choices. 

Ultimately the biggest thing he needs is time to imprint on this squad, and because of how the ownership have decided to operate over the last couple of years, time is probably the one thing he can't and won't be afforded. 

I wish him all the best though, and hopefully the gamble pays off, and he'll be a masterstroke appointment.

[ZAPHOD2319 4,395]

His players all speak of how much they learn about how to play and how he teaches them tactics. Something that was not happening with Poch.

 

[Pizy 18,305]

Yeah, literally every quote I’ve seen from those who have worked with him say he’s great. I guess that’s promising.

Let us now hope the club provide him with the last few tools we need to compete.

[Blue Armour 4,237]

Good luck to him, as with any new Chelsea manager.

But if we aren't realistically challenging for top four for a 3rd season in a row, screw Clownlake and the two directors they've appointed up top.

Edited May 28 by Blue Armour

[Duppy Conqueror 1,494]

Welcome (when it's proper confirmed)

I see challenging for 3rd as a realistic goal.

Think Klopp really got every drop out of the squad they got,i think before either side has additions ours may be more talented with base talent. Villa will be stretched by Champions league and although a good overall side,rely on a small number of players that they'd struggle without if injuries occur.

If some of our vastly talented but missed alot of time players can stay healthy then i'd expect CL place for '25. We werent so far away in the end and that was with alot of longterm injuries and Poch doing some dumb stuff like the Colwill experiment..

[ZAPHOD2319 4,395]

Leicester Mercury correspondent Jordan Blackwell:

"The Leicester players have spoken about feeling a bit stupid when he came in, he was teaching things they'd never considered or thought about, totally different ways of thinking about the game. 

Harry Winks said he's the best manager he's ever worked for - and he's played under Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho."

[Mário César 965]

I think we're lying to ourselves and believing that he's really a good choice by reading these opinions when we all actually know that he's likely to screw up, but he might surprise us

[Special Juan 27,385]

This appointment is make or break from Winstanley and Stewart- Like absolutely no breathing space, if EM completely and I mean completely flops then it's all on them based on the write ups that's it's their choice just rubber stamped by Boehly and Egbhali