Enzo Maresca Thread

[NikkiCFC 8,286]

 

[Vesper 30,085]

On 19/12/2024 at 18:04, NikkiCFC said:

 

love this!!!!!! I hope all here watch it

[Johnnyeye 7,501]

On 20/12/2024 at 01:04, NikkiCFC said:

 

love to see this, this is the right attitude and spirit i want to see at Chelsea, i hope we get back to the aura we had with the old guard, we are definitely heading in the right direction, just need to address the GK issue. Cheers

[Ledg 643]

I really think the pressure got to him the last couple of weeks.

He may be dismissive and us as well cause we are nowhere near ready but the table placement doesn't lie. 

Looks like he rather not to loss than to win and he doesn't rate our depth to see a game out, which is ironic with what happened yesterday but you win some, you lose some..

[Vesper 30,085]

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/enzo-maresca-Chelsea-fc-crystal-palace-top-four-race-b1202953.html

For the best part of six months, Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea reign swept through a giddy honeymoon, extending beyond the stage of a debut season at which some of his predecessors had already begun sweating on divorce.

No one expected it to last forever, least of all the man himself, but nor can he have forecast that its end would be quite so abrupt. A 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace confirmed that Chelsea are now well and truly in a rut, winless in four and having taken just two points from meetings with Everton, Fulham, Ipswich and now Oliver Glasner’s much-improved Eagles over the festive run.

Newcastle, winners at Tottenham earlier on Saturday, are breathing down Blue necks and the race for the top four is on.

Maresca eventually corrected a similar blip during during his ultimately triumphant season at Leicester last season, when the accusation was that rivals had figured out too stubborn and predictable a script.

The Italian could not be accused of that here, tinkering again with half-a-team’s worth of changes, including a surprise first Premier League start for 18-year-old defender Josh Acheampong amid a centre-back injury crisis that may yet take some January transfer activity to resolve.

There are obvious problems here in a team missing two key elements of its spine - Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia - and in Maresca’s strange reluctance to make the most of his depth with in-game personel tweaks. The headline flaw, though, is that for a team that did not keep clean sheets with any ease even at its best, the goals have now horribly dried up.

 

Enzo Maresca’s side have lost their form in front of goal

Getty Images

Cole Palmer’s opener here, brilliantly made by Jadon Sancho, was just the Blues’s second in that four game winless streak and fistfuls of chances created between that strike on 14 minutes and Jean Philippe Mateta’s deserved leveller on 82 could not extend the tally. Beyond their goal, Chelsea managed 14 shots, but not a single one of them on target.

It was the same wastefulness that cost Maresca’s side in the reverse fixture, when Palace again rescued a 1-1 draw with a second-half equaliser. They should have put Fulham out of sight at Stamford Bridge last month, only to be stung by a late comeback, and paid for not breaking a stubborn Everton early in the goalless draw at Goodison Park, too.

Nicolas Jackson’s ruthless knack has suddenly faded, the Senegalese back to last season’s loose form in front of goal and now with just one goal in six in the league. Christopher Nkunku was not even brought off the bench here, Maresca instead turning to Marc Guiu for the first time in the Premier League since the opening day.

Most egregiously, Pedro Neto fluffed the simplest of openings to set up the Palmer second that may have killed the game before half-time. The marquee summer signing still has not delivered the numbers to match his obvious talent, a flaw that extends back into his final injury-hit seasons at Wolves.

Sancho at least, is bringing something tangible to the party; his assist via a glorious dummy on halfway was his sixth in 15 Chelsea appearances - as many as he managed in 83 in a Manchester United shirt.

Inevitably, Chelsea’s lack of goals just as the January window slides open will reignite what seemed a closed debate over whether a truly elite No9 is required as a matter of urgency. Whether such a centre-forward would be available this month anyway seems doubtful. Chelsea were not exactly alone in trying and failing to find one last summer.

Next weekend’s meeting with Morecambe in the third round of the FA Cup looks a timely chance to rediscover some scoring form; who knows, perhaps Maresca’s men are simply missing the weekly opportunity to stick a four or five (or eight) past a third-tier European minnow.

When the Conference League group stage ended only a few weeks ago, Chelsea were second in the Premier League and seemingly nailed-on for a return to the Champions League top table next term. That remains an achievable aim halfway through the season, but no longer feels such a sure thing.

[Mário César 1,232]

Chelsea have shown some good things, even in the last few games.

the problem is the lack of intensity and perhaps an excess of rigidity from maresca and individual errors

[Mhsc 1,093]

1 hour ago, Mário César said:

Chelsea have shown some good things, even in the last few games.

the problem is the lack of intensity and perhaps an excess of rigidity from maresca and individual errors

My main concern, in terms of coaching, is that the players seem quite unfit over the last month, where PL games have come quickly. That surely has to be a coaching mistake as Maresca had all preseason and the season til now to get it right. It doesn't seem like many of them can handle a busy schedule - and barely fit enough to handle a calm schedule, with a few exceptions.

[Mário César 1,232]

1 hour ago, Mhsc said:

My main concern, in terms of coaching, is that the players seem quite unfit over the last month, where PL games have come quickly. That surely has to be a coaching mistake as Maresca had all preseason and the season til now to get it right. It doesn't seem like many of them can handle a busy schedule - and barely fit enough to handle a calm schedule, with a few exceptions.

during poch's time the team had difficulties in midfield because enzo doesn't have the physical size that lavia has. 

the problem is that lavia is often injured and that makes it difficult to play well in midfield.

the first half against fulham, ipwich and palace was good. the team hasn't been as effective and has also had problems in defense.

[NikkiCFC 8,286]

Pochettino last 20 PL games 41 points 

Maresca first 20: 36 points 

Poch team scored 9 more goals actually but conceded also 11 more. 

Wonder where we would be now if he stayed considering strong second part of the season. 

 

Edited January 5 by NikkiCFC

[milka 3,390]

Expectations were raised  after some good results and people believed that we were almost on the same level as Liverpool. And in reality, we don't have a big win against a leading team to prove otherwise.  Maresca fail to beat this United and Arsenal .Too many mistakes against teams we should beat easily. Sorry but after 1bn spend you don't have many excusses if you miss top 4 and don't win at least one trophy .

[Mário César 1,232]

8 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

Pochettino last 20 PL games 41 points 

Maresca first 20: 36 points 

Poch team scored 9 more goals actually but conceded also 11 more. 

Wonder where we would be now if he stayed considering strong second part of the season. 

 

I think there is some slight improvement, but not too much to be happy for sack poch and bet in maresca

[Mhsc 1,093]

9 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

Pochettino last 20 PL games 41 points 

Maresca first 20: 36 points 

Poch team scored 9 more goals actually but conceded also 11 more. 

Wonder where we would be now if he stayed considering strong second part of the season. 

 

We would be probably in 10th or so, with about 5x more injuries, and absolutely crucifying the owners for keeping him.

Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell would probably have played about 90% of games when fit.

And Disasi would be a near guaranteed starter.

[Fernando 6,585]

Yup it was the right decision to sack Poch and get Maresca. 

He has shown enough to me that he can build and continue from here. 

Let's see what the club does in the transfer window. Specifically the next 3 with Maresca in the team. 

[JFKvsNixon 53]

I can't believe that people are questioning Maresca as Chelsea's manager, the difference between the two teams is night and day. Under Maresca we have patterns of play where we are much more effective at pressing, and beating the press. The players seem to know what they are doing instead of trying to make things up as they go along.

Personally I put the recent blip down to inexperience of the players, and being a little light in defence and midfield.  We had more than enough opportunities to win each of the recent games where we dropped points, with an improved squad and greater experience next year I'm confident that we'll manage periods of adversity much better,

I don't even think that we need that many new signings, a new centre back and goalkeeper, and bringing Santos back when he's completed his loan should address weaknesses in the squad.

[Mhsc 1,093]

To me he is the only serious manager we've had since Tuchel. We burnt our bridges with pretty much all of the elite managers so we have to take a punt on someone and he's as good as a punt gets. 

I am overall very happy with him and unlike with Poch I have the feeling that year after year we're just going to get better and better. Yes it is a long term project (it always was) but at least now the development story has actually started.