The Manager Maresca Calls Pre-Match Time as His 'Worst 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca remarked that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old delivered a somewhat cryptic message in his after-game press conference even after earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea back into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had stretched the side's winless run to four fixtures.

Yet, when questioned about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca unexpectedly shared his annoyance over the preceding two days within the organization.

"The way the lads are eager to improve has been superb and this is the reason why I applaud them - because with a host of problems, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he said.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the previous 48 hours have been the toughest because a lot of people failed to back us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City boss elaborated: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he answered: "In general. Overall," before specifying when queried if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

Fitness & Disciplinary Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing fitness and suspension issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, as well as losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, nearly every one of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer there, we have said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season minus our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would want people outside to appreciate because the effort from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's triumph over Everton consolidated their position in 4th place in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup last-eight clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was unclear who or what caused Maresca to describe the past 48 hours as the worst of his tenure as Chelsea head coach.

In that timeframe, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from his native Italy, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-game press briefing where he appeared relaxed, and engineered a victory over an high-flying Everton side.

It was not obvious whether any specific press stories had irked him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to deny that it was an matter involving the club's supporters, some of whom have not yet fully warm to him since his arrival from Leicester in July last year.