Enzo Maresca Thread

[ZAPHOD2319 4,404]

Really agree with this. Maresca is not coming in trying to appease the players. He is coming in to get the players ready to win.

 

[Blue Armour 4,246]

59 minutes ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Really agree with this. Maresca is not coming in trying to appease the players. He is coming in to get the players ready to win.

 

I really hope all this works out.

Not necessarily because I think so, and not because I think Clownlake have it in their capacity to learn.

I am just tired of seeing Chelsea going through the motions these past 3 years, moving 2 steps backward with every forward step. 

[OneMoSalah 8,751]

4 hours ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Really agree with this. Maresca is not coming in trying to appease the players. He is coming in to get the players ready to win.

 

We will see how much of a backbone he has when it comes to recruitment and even his team selection. Thats going to be more key for him than letting players go/not go to the Olympics.

If we keep seeing the likes of Jackson, Disasi & Mudryk starting every week then it‘S clear he is a yes man and will have very little power upstairs. Not saying the lads upstairs will be saying you must play X Y or Z but there is also no doubt that we should be replacing all 3 of them from the starting 11 and perhaps the the squad. 

Edited June 4 by OneMoSalah

[ZAPHOD2319 4,404]

The problem with Jackson starting, is there is no alternative at the moment. He is the only striker we have that has any attributes for the position. 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,404]

 

[bigbluewillie 1,844]

21 minutes ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Fucking hell Don Revie lives on

 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,404]

He does have that Don Revie vibe!😂

“Revie also introduced lengthy dossiers on opposing teams to ensure his players knew every detail about the opposition and were able to exploit weaknesses and nullify threats.”

[Vesper 28,289]

Enzo Maresca’s backroom staff: The six moving with him from Leicester to Chelsea

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5529405/2024/06/04/maresca-backroom-caballero-walker/

The compensation of around £10million ($12.7m) Chelsea are paying Leicester City will secure them much more than simply new head coach Enzo Maresca.

Six of the Italian’s backroom team will also be swapping the King Power Stadium for Stamford Bridge, allowing Maresca to settle into new surroundings alongside some familiar faces. Back in Leicester, their next head coach will need a hefty rebuild of his own coaching staff.

Assistant manager Willy Caballero, first-team coach Danny Walker, goalkeeping coach Michele De Bernardin, fitness coach Marcos Alvarez and analyst Javier Molina Caballero will form part of Chelsea’s latest new dawn. Roberto Vitiello has also been hired to help transition Chelsea’s young players and prepare them for life in the first-team setup. All six had arrived at Leicester with Maresca 12 months ago.

Chelsea had already secured the arrival of Bernardo Cueva, a set-piece coach who has joined from Brentford. Ben Roberts, the club’s global head of goalkeeping, and Hilario retain their positions in an expanded goalkeeping department.

Maresca’s six trusted staff members boast different backgrounds and skill sets, but they all have one thing in common: they are completely wedded to Maresca’s football philosophy.

---

Willy Caballero, assistant

He will need no introduction to Chelsea fans. Caballero is the most high profile of Maresca’s backroom team, and not just because of his glittering playing career that saw him lift trophies with Boca Juniors in his native Argentina, Manchester City and Chelsea.

While Maresca largely patrols the technical area alone, the only member of his staff who occasionally joins him is Caballero.

As well as being Maresca’s sounding board, the 42-year-old was also the set-piece coach at Leicester and would come forward to offer instructions when Leicester took or faced a free kick. Cueva will take on those set-piece duties at Stamford Bridge, but Caballero will remain Maresca’s right-hand man.

 

He had to step up when the Italian, whom Caballero met when they were team-mates at Malaga in Spain, served a one-game touchline ban against Ipswich Town after picking up three bookings.

Like Maresca, Caballero was influenced to become a coach by Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola, having played under both managers during his 20-year career.

“We started together at Malaga (for a season and a half in 2011 and 2012) and we have stayed in touch since,” Maresca said of his No 2 in January before the Ipswich game. “We both worked with Pep and see the game in the same way in terms of how we want to play. That is why he is here.”

Danny Walker, first-team coach

Walker met Maresca when they were coaches in the youth ranks at Manchester City, where he coached from under-nines upwards between 2014 and 2020 before stepping up to assist Maresca with the development squad, helping them win the Premier League 2 title.

In 2022, he joined Peterborough United as a senior professional development phase lead coach, responsible for overseeing the club’s under-21s along with Ryan Semple, before joining Maresca at Leicester last summer.

Walker worked closely with many of the Leicester players on a one-on-one basis, particularly in attacking areas. 

 

Michele De Bernardin, goalkeeping coach

De Bernardin replaced long-serving goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell at Leicester and, while still aged only 46, the Italian has been coaching since he was 20, working his way up the ranks from lower divisions before joining Parma.

He was the goalkeeping coach when Maresca was appointed at Parma in his first managerial role and they remained friends even after his dismissal after only 14 games.

After one year with Sampdoria, he was reunited with Leicester last summer.

 

He had a crucial role in Maresca’s approach through his close work with young ‘keepers Mads Hermansen and Jakub Stolarczyk as they had to learn how to play as an 11th outfield player to fit in with Maresca’s playing philosophy.

De Bernardin’s jovial personality endeared him to the rest of the Leicester staff at their Seagrave HQ and he is seen as an innovative coach, bringing fresh, original ideas to his sessions. 

Marcos Alvarez, fitness coach

A vastly experienced fitness and performance coach, Alvarez worked at Sevilla, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow, Dnipro, Real Betis, and Parma — where he met Maresca — before joining Leicester.

The Spaniard worked closely with Matt Reeves, Leicester’s head of fitness and conditioning since 2011.

After a season blighted by injuries, Chelsea fans will be hoping Alvarez can ensure more of their talent will be available to Maresca next season.

 

Javier Molina Caballero, first-team analyst

Another vastly experienced member of Maresca’s staff whom he met at Parma. The 51-year-old Spaniard is a key analyst who has worked with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. 

Maresca places a huge emphasis on pre- and post-match analysis.

 

During pre-season, his players can expect double sessions on the pitch, which are recorded and then debriefed in the video analysis room. Caballero plays a key role in this work and preparing the side for their upcoming opponents.

Roberto Vitiello, development coach

Vitiello’s playing career took in stints at seven clubs in his native Italy, with his relationship forged with Maresca during their time as team-mates at Palermo from 2014-16. While at Siena he was banned initially for four years for his part in the match-fixing scandal of 2011-12, with the sanction reduced to nine months on appeal.

After his playing days concluded, Vitiello joined Maresca’s staff at Parma and was assistant manager during his brief spell in charge there.

He took up a role as a development coach at Leicester when Maresca went there last summer and he has followed him to Stamford Bridge, where he’ll have a similar brief — to help transition Chelsea’s young players and prepare them for life in the first-team setup.

[Vesper 28,289]

Does Enzo Maresca meet Chelsea’s seven criteria for their ideal manager?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5539605/2024/06/06/enzo-maresca-chelseas-seven-criteria/

When Chelsea assessed their preferred options to replace Mauricio Pochettino, they had seven criteria to measure each candidate.

Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca emerged as the favourite because Chelsea believed he matched all of them, despite the Italian having just one full season in the top job.

“Enzo has proven himself to be an excellent coach capable of delivering impressive results with an exciting and identifiable style,” said Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, in a statement to announce the appointment.

“Enzo has deeply impressed us in our discussions leading up to his appointment. His ambitions and work ethic align with those of the club. We thoroughly look forward to working with him.”

To consider how Chelsea studied their new manager, The Athletic looks at each principle in relation to Maresca’s Championship-winning campaign at Leicester last season.

1. Playing style and philosophy

Just as Leicester did 12 months ago, Chelsea wanted a young, up-and-coming coach who could bring a clear identity. Maresca certainly does that.

He has a possession-based style of play, comparable to Pep Guardiola’s approach at Manchester City where the mantra was they move the ball to move the opposition. It was a style that stood out in the Championship — and Maresca is devoted to it.

The goalkeeper needs to be capable with the ball at his feet as he will combine with the central defenders and a deep midfielder to play as an extra outfield player.

Out of possession, Maresca’s formation is a 4-3-3 turned 4-4-2 when pressing. In possession, one of the defenders will move into midfield to play as a second holding midfielder, while two No 8s will push high into the inside channels as the two wingers, who are integral to his attacking philosophy, will go very wide as the attack becomes a front five.

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He was often accused of having no backup plan if Plan A wasn’t working, but he does make subtle changes, such as moving the inside full-back into a forward pocket to make a front six, with one of the No 8s moving into a No 10 position behind the lone striker.

He doesn’t play with two strikers and has vowed never to do so.

2. Having the aim to control games, with defensive stability

His whole approach is about control, and the ethos is that to control the game they must control possession.

To control possession, the back three and two holding midfielders form an insurance policy of a back five if the attack breaks down. Leicester therefore attack with five and defend with five.

Last season, he would often say that for his side to be effective, the rear five have to play well — everything starts with them. They have to be brave in possession as they look to break either a high press or a deep block by making the opposition move to create pockets of space for the forward five.

It may be a slow process at times but when they do find the pockets of space and play forward through the lines, the attack will quickly accelerate.

The defender who takes up the central position when they move to the back three — at Leicester, it was Jannik Vestergaard — is vital to the process as he will dictate the tempo and direction of the play, while the two alongside him need to have pace. Last season, Leicester pushed so high up the field that they often left 50 metres or more behind them that they had to defend when facing a counter-attack.

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3. A brand of football that suits the squad already in place and their future plans to recruit

The Chelsea decision-makers will feel the players Maresca inherits will be able to adapt to his style of play, because Maresca is deeply committed to it.

The manager will identify where the team need to recruit, as he did at Leicester when he insisted they bring in a ball-playing goalkeeper in Mads Hermansen. Maresca said the Danish keeper’s signing was the most important for his plan.

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Equally so will be a deep-lying playmaker. And in Harry Winks, Leicester had the best in the Championship. Right-back Ricardo Pereira was adaptable to play in different ways too.

Maresca will already have assessed who will play those roles at Chelsea, whether it will be Reece James playing inside like Trent Alexander-Arnold, or Marc Cucurella, Malang Sarr or Levi Colwill playing the left-back-cum-third-centre-back role.

What will be interesting is which players he adapts to other roles, such as left-back Ben Chilwell. Could he play in a different way? He might have to, as Maresca doesn’t play with conventional full-backs.

4. Desire to embrace supporters and build a connection with them

Maresca was particularly keen on getting Leicester supporters on board with his ideas early on.

Initially, he tried to do so through the local media, explaining in press conferences how he wanted his team to play and the roles of each individual. He read everything written about his side and sometimes would express his frustration if journalists didn’t grasp his concept.

Sometimes he could be sensitive to questions that seemed to query his approach, but he then began to see them as an opportunity to get his point across to the supporters.

In December last year, he became the first manager in many years to host a question and answer session for supporters at King Power Stadium and, along with his close friend and journalist Guillem Balague, he spoke about his philosophy at another fan event later in the season.

Maresca also explained his tactics in detail in a video for The Coaches’ Voice but can be sensitive to criticism and even threatened to quit in January after a home win over Swansea City as some fans expressed frustration at his side patiently attempting to break down a deep-block defence.

 

5. Strong data on keeping players fit and available

Maresca is huge on data and almost forensic in his analysis of pretty much everything, including the physical demands on his players. One of his first acts at Chelsea was to request deep data dives on all his new players, which also meant the development squad.

Under Brendan Rodgers, Leicester suffered some horrendous injuries to important players. Changes were made in the medical department and Leicester’s sports science department were thorough, but the injuries didn’t ease up until last season when Maresca arrived.

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The lower number of injury absentees may be due to the differing approaches of the two coaches. While Rodgers’s style, both in training and on match days, was very intense and required a lot of athleticism, Maresca’s possession-based approach meant Leicester played in a more measured way and tried to control the tempo of games.

His training sessions were more tactical and less physically demanding on his players too.

6. A record of improving players and getting them to fulfil potential levels

In terms of a long record, Maresca’s fledgling managerial career means there isn’t a lot of history to draw upon. But in his role as under-21 manager at Manchester City — where Cole Palmer developed under his coaching — and one season at Leicester, there is evidence that players have developed and improved under Maresca.

While they were at Championship level, there were a few notable players who blossomed under Maresca.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had his best season as a professional and was named player of the season, while young players Kasey McAteer, Abdul Fatawu and Wanya Marcal stepped up a level.

It wasn’t just the young players, either. Vestergaard went from not even being allowed to train with the squad under Rodgers to being the integral defender. Pereira played in multiple positions including the inside full-back role. Even Jamie Vardy changed his game to be the central striker who linked play.

Significantly, Maresca turned Wilfred Ndidi from a destructive defensive midfielder to an attacking No 8 who frequently broke into the box.

The key to Maresca’s man-management is demonstrating to players that he has faith in them. When striker Patson Daka started to struggle for form and confidence in the second half of the season after a scoring run earlier in the campaign, Maresca said the best way to help players in that situation was to keep picking them.

He did so for several weeks, but eventually made a change to protect Daka from further scrutiny.

7. Being willing to work within the structure built at the club

Maresca is single-minded in his approach but understands that the team on the pitch needs to be supported by the team off it and be provided with the right environment to work in. But that doesn’t mean he is a yes man.

He worked with Leicester’s director of football Jon Rudkin. They weren’t the best of friends, but they didn’t need to be. When Rudkin informed Maresca of the club’s PSR issues, Maresca expressed his disappointment and frustration. But at the end of the season, that issue was resolved after another planning meeting; it wasn’t a factor in his decision to leave.

However, if Maresca feels there is too much interference from above, he won’t be afraid to say what he thinks. He may be a young coach with just one year’s experience but he is confident in his ability and is no shrinking violet.

Chelsea wanted a hungry, young and determined coach devoted to his philosophy, and they now have one. But Stewart and Winstanley, you have been warned.

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[Antonio8 736]

he is the bad copy of guardiola, change my mind

[Vesper 28,289]

1 hour ago, Antonio8 said:

he is the bad copy of guardiola, change my mind

only time can tell

[Mário César 965]

it feels like we're on a honeymoon and everything seems perfect

let's wait and see, but I wouldn't be surprised if it fails

I've already been put off by the fact that I want to bet on sanchez and that he always wants to play from the goalkeeper to the defender, even when in pressure situations it's necessary to send the ball wide.

[YorkshireBlue 3,118]

3 hours ago, Antonio8 said:

he is the bad copy of guardiola, change my mind

The only thing we know so far is peps last assistant manager went on to challenge city for the title until the last day of the league, he assisted pep in a treble winning season then went into management and got Leicester promoted, which btw not every manager can do that in his first season even if they have the best team, but @Vesperis right, time will tell.

[OneMoSalah 8,751]

27 minutes ago, YorkshireBlue said:

The only thing we know so far is peps last assistant manager went on to challenge city for the title until the last day of the league, he assisted pep in a treble winning season then went into management and got Leicester promoted, which btw not every manager can do that in his first season even if they have the best team, but @Vesperis right, time will tell.

Pep’s last assistant before Enzo was actually Juan Manuel Lillo, who left City to go to Al Sadd. Don’t think he put up any trees so to speak and eventually ended up returning to City.

Then for Arteta, it took 2 to 2.5 years to make any sort of real progress with Arsenal in terms of turning them into a title competing side. And even then they threw it away the first year. Lets not forgot how often their fans wanted the club to sack him up until that season.

And you mention Enzo assisted Pep in a treble winning season. What makes you think an assistant manager has such a huge role in terms of actual coaching? A lot of them don’t tend to do a lot of the actual hands on coaching, the other coaches on the staff do the majority of the sessions. They are usually a buffer between the players and manager and will do the likes of opposition studies or analysis than actually on the grass doing drills.

Just because someone’s worked with Pep, I don’t think that should be a huge indicator or point to make people believe he will be a success or the right choice. At all. For example, whilst he was lower on the list, by all accounts Vincent Kompany has ended up walking into the Bayern Munich job on Pep’s recommendation and his teams were hilariously and hopelessly battered most weeks in the Premier League.

Hypothetically, say Enzo goes down the Arteta route, are people really going to be content to wait another 2 seasons? Given the shit we’ve seen the last 2 seasons? Clearlake and these co-sporting directors have a lot to answer for so if this appointment doesn’t work out it would be another naive move, an even more embarrassing one as such, hiring a guy predominantly because he worked with Pep as an assistant manager for 1 season. 

Edited June 9 by OneMoSalah

[YorkshireBlue 3,118]

16 minutes ago, OneMoSalah said:

Pep’s last assistant before Enzo was actually Juan Manuel Lillo, who left City to go to Al Sadd. Don’t think he put up any trees so to speak and eventually ended up returning to City.

Then for Arteta, it took 2 to 2.5 years to make any sort of real progress with Arsenal in terms of turning them into a title competing side. And even then they threw it away the first year. Lets not forgot how often their fans wanted the club to sack him up until that season.

And you mention Enzo assisted Pep in a treble winning season. What makes you think an assistant manager has such a huge role in terms of actual coaching? A lot of them don’t tend to do a lot of the actual hands on coaching, the other coaches on the staff do the majority of the sessions. They are usually a buffer between the players and manager and will do the likes of opposition studies or analysis than actually on the grass doing drills.

Just because someone’s worked with Pep, I don’t think that should be a huge indicator or point to make people believe he will be a success or the right choice. At all. For example, whilst he was lower on the list, by all accounts Vincent Kompany has ended up walking into the Bayern Munich job on Pep’s recommendation and his teams were hilariously and hopelessly battered most weeks in the Premier League.

Hypothetically, say Enzo goes down the Arteta route, are people really going to be content to wait another 2 seasons? Given the shit we’ve seen the last 2 seasons? Clearlake and these co-sporting directors have a lot to answer for so if this appointment doesn’t work out it would be another naive move, an even more embarrassing one as such, hiring a guy predominantly because he worked with Pep as an assistant manager for 1 season. 

All depends on how you view things I guess, we Chelsea fans are used to instant success when a manager comes in, so most will struggle to wait 2 years but in artetas defence you could see the improvement and the direction they were heading, secondly I don't think they hired him because he "worked with pep" I think that's most twitter click bait shit personally. And lastly kompany had Burnley playing shit hot in the championship problem is they didn't have the players to do that in the pl, he had his style and he stuck too it, I think how well Burnley played in a league with an equally set of talent players was a big reason in why he also got the job, big teams now seem to be going down the young and up and coming manager route, so the next 5 years in football is going to be dominated by new faces in management I feel.

[OneMoSalah 8,751]

57 minutes ago, YorkshireBlue said:

All depends on how you view things I guess, we Chelsea fans are used to instant success when a manager comes in, so most will struggle to wait 2 years but in artetas defence you could see the improvement and the direction they were heading, secondly I don't think they hired him because he "worked with pep" I think that's most twitter click bait shit personally. And lastly kompany had Burnley playing shit hot in the championship problem is they didn't have the players to do that in the pl, he had his style and he stuck too it, I think how well Burnley played in a league with an equally set of talent players was a big reason in why he also got the job, big teams now seem to be going down the young and up and coming manager route, so the next 5 years in football is going to be dominated by new faces in management I feel.

I just don’t think the club, co sporting directors and fans can just keep on flinging the word project around as the clubs actions in particular don’t show that the leadership are actually wanting to follow through in a project. Anything but, based on managerial appointments and sacking, they are proving that they want more instant success. And the manager is as big a part of a project as any player is, if not bigger.

Then when you consider how long it will likely take most managers, particularly ones with a lack of experience at the highest level, to try and figure out a squad as young and unproven as ours. I don’t see why people should be that patient given Poch finally started seeing and figuring out what he could and couldn’t get out of certain players. This season would probably of been much better from the get go with Poch still there despite my feelings on how poorly the season started and was until maybe January/February. 

If it takes Enzo Maresca a season or two to do anything, he won’t be here as simple as that. Particularly given how we’ve just effectively sacked somebody who got 6th place. I don’t think the word project can be used as such or Enzo-Arteta comparisons as a 6th place finish is a much better starting point that Arteta also had. 

Burnley demolished the championship but if thats the barometer for a club like Bayern Munich or us when we looked at Maresca, then certain aspects of top level decision making is going in the wrong direction at both clubs. Don’t forget Burnley spent the best part of £30m in the championship and then a following £110m this season just past upon promotion to the PL so it’s not as if he was competing with a squad that lacked investment. Far from it - ultimately they were not good enough and naive tactically.  

For me it is almost a certainty that the Pep factor has heavily contributed to Kompany and Maresca’s appointments. And will contribute to many others in the future, as it no doubt did with Arteta (although he had huge links and connections to Arsenal from his playing career). 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,404]

The club should really try their match the team philosophy closely to first team for call ups. 
 

 

[Vesper 28,289]