Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca expressed his unhappiness at a lack of support at the club and said he had just endured his worst period since arriving last year.
Maresca didn’t specify who he was referring to, but stressed it wasn’t Chelsea fans after a 2-0 Premier League victory against Everton on Sunday morning (AEDT).
“The last 48 hours have been the worst since I joined the club because many people didn’t support the team and me,” he said.
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Asked if he meant internally at Chelsea, he replied: “In general. In general.”
Enzo Maresca Chelsea FC via Getty Images
The win at Stamford Bridge ended a four-game winless run in all competitions for Chelsea and lifted the team into fourth place in the league.
Asked whether he was talking about the club’s supporters, Maresca added: “I love the fans, and we are very happy with the fans.”
Maresca was responding to a question about the performance of Malo Gusto, who set up Chelsea’s first goal for Cole Palmer and scored the second, before making his startling claim.
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Before the game, Maresca said only victories would stop fans from complaining.
“I know that if you don’t win, everyone complains.”
Whether his comments after Everton were directed at online reaction or elsewhere was unclear, but he was quick to back his players after they brought to an end a run that included losses at Leeds and Atalanta and a goalless draw at Bournemouth.
Cole Palmer celebrates after scoring a goal Getty
“With so many problems, they are doing very well after a complicated week,” Maresca said.
Palmer’s goal was his first in three months. The superstar England playmaker was starting a second straight match in the Premier League after seeing the first half of his campaign blighted by a groin injury that has restricted him to seven games in all competitions.
“With Cole, we are a better team,” Maresca said.
“I really praise the players because we played 16 Premier League games – five without Moises Caicedo, 11 without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap.
“No matter who is playing are doing fantastic. We played almost all season without our best player. This is the reason why I’m so happy for the players.
“I would like people from the outside to appreciate that.”
Palmer said he wasn’t at his best yet because he was “still dealing with an injury.”