The Boss Maresca Describes Lead-Up Period as His 'Worst Two Days' with the Blues

Chelsea gaffer Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's triumph against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" of his tenure with the London club.

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

Those points sent Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially lightening the mood following a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to consecutive fixtures.

But, when asked about Gusto's contribution and general performance, Maresca unexpectedly divulged his annoyance over the previous two days within the organization.

"How the squad want to learn has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with numerous issues, they are excelling after a difficult week," he stated.

"From the moment I arrived at the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because many people failed to back us."

When pushed further on what he meant, the former Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

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

Injury & Disciplinary Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and suspension problems, noting they had been missing key forward Cole Palmer for a large portion of the season, in addition to losing linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-match ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of serious injuries.

"I really commend the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, 5 of them minus Moises Caicedo, 11 of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was five games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we said many times that he's our finest player but we play almost all season without our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so happy for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to appreciate because the commitment from the players is fantastic."

Chelsea's success over Everton strengthened their standing in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff and a league journey to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Over Maresca's Comments

It was ambiguous what exactly prompted Maresca to label the past 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.

In that window, the coach had returned with his staff and players from his native Italy, conducted a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed at ease, and secured a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if social media comments were a factor, or if it was something deeper from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca specifically took care to deny that it was an matter related to the club's supporters, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester during July last year.