Enzo Maresca Thread

[Ledg 642]

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 29,071]

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 1,002]

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 929]

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 1,002]

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 8,062]

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 Sunday at 04:28 by NikkiCFC

[milka 3,357]

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 1,002]

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 929]

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 6,489]

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 39]

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 929]

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.

[TheHulk 1,893]

He is way above that useless fat fuck from Argentina but the problem is the people working at this club are buying only bang average defenders. Whoever got Disasi, Badiashile, Fofana combo should be jobless.

[Mhsc 929]

7 minutes ago, TheHulk said:

He is way above that useless fat fuck from Argentina but the problem is the people working at this club are buying only bang average defenders. Whoever got Disasi, Badiashile, Fofana combo should be jobless.

You're not wrong... We have been terrible at CB recruitment for a long time. Our last good signings at CB were I guess Thiago Silva on a free, before that Rudiger, and before that Gary Cahill... Not a great record for a LONG time at Chelsea. At our peak, we had insane CB combos like Arsenal currently have. We need to get that back if we want to win PL imo

[Vesper 29,071]

Rare training-ground time might help Enzo Maresca fix Chelsea’s soft underbelly

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6037951/2025/01/06/Chelsea-enzo-maresca-training-goals/

The sequence that enabled Crystal Palace to extend Chelsea’s winter malaise into 2025 unfolded with grim inevitability in the 82nd minute at Selhurst Park.

A risky pass from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez through the middle of the pitch to Cole Palmer saw him immediately swarmed by two Palace players. The ensuing quick turnover exposed an ocean of space around Moises Caicedo for Ismaila Sarr to exploit, with Enzo Fernandez far ahead of the ball and both Chelsea full-backs spread wide rather than inverting into midfield. Palace’s Eberechi Eze recognised the potential of the situation much sooner than opponent Malo Gusto.

One tackle, three quick passes, and a tap-in for Jean-Philippe Mateta made it 1-1.

It was the logical culmination of a second half in which Palace brought a level of intensity to the game that Chelsea simply could not equal and were rewarded in the final stretch of a match that Enzo Maresca’s team began with a swagger but ended with a stagger.

The first-half shot count was Palace 4-9 Chelsea. In the second half, it was Palace 9-6 Chelsea. Of the 15 times the visitors were dispossessed on Saturday at Selhurst Park, 11 occurred after half-time. Whether due to fatigue, structural weaknesses, complacency or a cocktail of all three, a level of carelessness crept into their game which, in the Premier League, is rarely conducive to winning.

Chelsea’s head coach offered his explanation. “If I had to decide the reason why we didn’t win the game, we need to be clinical when you have the chance to kill the game,” Maresca said in his post-match press conference. “Because if it’s 2-0, the game is probably finished, but if you continue to be open, open, open, you are likely going to concede some transitions and some corners and then you can concede (a goal).”

But in reality, Chelsea had few clear chances to double their lead after half-time, beyond a left-footed shot that Nicolas Jackson screwed wide in the 70th minute. Eze should have brought Palace level much earlier in the second half when he connected with Daniel Munoz’s inviting cutback unmarked in the penalty area, but he somehow failed to find the target. Sanchez was by far the busier goalkeeper, making five saves on the day to counterpart Dean Henderson’s zero.

 

Jackson bemoans a missed Chelsea chance at Selhurst Park (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Most of Chelsea’s best attacking work came in a bright opening 45 minutes when Jadon Sancho dazzled in combination with Marc Cucurella, Fernandez and, most effectively, Palmer, who opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Would 2-0 have been enough? Chelsea are yet to lose a two-goal lead under Maresca halfway through his debut season, but the knowledge they almost always concede at least once (the wait for their fifth Premier League clean sheet of 2024-25 goes on after this 20th fixture) would likely have been enough to keep most opponents pushing until the very end.

Seven of the 24 league goals Chelsea have conceded this season have been scored after the 75th minute. Another sign of creeping fatigue? Maresca’s decision to make five changes to his starting XI against Ipswich Town on Monday seemed indicative of a belief that fresh legs were required to navigate the frantic festive schedule, but he has downplayed the notion whenever questioned about his striking reluctance to make substitutions, which was in evidence again at Selhurst Park.

Jackson was the first Chelsea player withdrawn against Palace in the 81st minute and, notably, he was replaced by enthusiastic youngster Marc Guiu rather than a more expensive attacking signing in Christopher Nkunku or Joao Felix. Noni Madueke came on for Sancho five minutes later as Maresca chased a winner, but he looked ill at ease on the left.

“Let me ask you: which player would you change today?” Maresca fired back at the journalist who raised his relative lack of substitutions in the post-match press conference.

“I know that is my job, but sometimes when we do some changes, it is because there is one that is not good enough and we change for another one. Or simple: one that is playing is tired and is not pressing good. I think the 11 on the pitch were all good. Pedro (Neto) was very good, Jadon was good, Nico (Jackson) was good, Cole was good, Enzo was good, Moi (Caicedo) was good, Levi (Colwill) was good, Josh (Acheampong) was good… to make change for (the sake of) change, I don’t like.

“I like to make changes when we know the reason why and the reason why we changed Nico was because he was pressing and was a bit tired. Marc (Guiu) was fresh, new energy, and it is exactly the same with Noni for Jadon. This is the reason.”

 

Acheampong impressed on his Chelsea debut (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Chelsea’s late-game execution against Fulham on Boxing Day and at Palace in particular did not justify Maresca’s bullish faith in his starters and as long as that remains the case, the impression will persist of a head coach who is simply not convinced of the viable depth of this squad in the unforgiving heat of Premier League matches.

Put simply, the list of players Maresca truly trusts when it matters seems to be shrinking rather than growing — though it may have gained one new name on Saturday in teenager Acheampong, highly impressive with and without the ball in central defence next to Colwill on his full Premier League debut and surely primed for more appearances in the coming weeks at the expense of Tosin Adarabioyo and Axel Disasi.

This now four-game winless run has been clarifying for the progress of the Maresca project. No longer seen as feel-good fringe title contenders, Chelsea have found a truer level in an increasingly congested race to join leaders Liverpool and second-placed Arsenal in the final top four come May.

Manchester City appear to have woken from their two-month doze with successive victories and Newcastle are rapidly gaining ground, having won five straight league matches. Nottingham Forest continue to confound all expectations, Aston Villa are far from done and Bournemouth, the next Premier League visitors to Stamford Bridge on January 14, are playing well enough to dream of the first European qualification in the former non-League club’s history.

Before then, Maresca has a luxury he has not had since September: a full week to work with his players in the meeting rooms and on the pitches at Cobham. A hands-on, training-ground type of coach, the Italian will not get a better chance for the rest of this season to reinforce tactical details, while a UEFA Conference League-level assignment against League Two visitors Morecambe in the FA Cup third round next weekend should enable the first string to refresh bodies as well as minds.

The circumstances are there for Chelsea to snap out of their Premier League mini-slump in that match against Bournemouth, but Maresca and his players have work to do to make it happen.

GO DEEPER

The Briefing: Crystal Palace 1 Chelsea 1 - Blip prolonged, Acheampong's first start and what of that left flank?