A journalist wrote an analytical column on Chelsea ahead of the EFL Cup match.
The past two weeks have been challenging for Chelsea. After defeating Barcelona and drawing with Arsenal, they first lost away to Leeds United, then drew away to Bournemouth, and finally lost away to Atalanta.
One claim is that after making poor substitution decisions in the match against Atalanta, Maresca was dissatisfied with the sports directors providing him with more feedback than usual. Another claim is that after the team went three games without a win, he expected public support from the club.
However, Chelsea has been backing Maresca throughout this season. Support does not have to appear after every setback. Chelsea’s plan is to reassess his managerial position next summer. But the danger is that this incident may trigger negative consequences.
For this reason, Chelsea is puzzled by the situation.
Some attribute Maresca’s outburst to his lack of experience and hope the controversy will subside, but Maresca has indeed taken a risk. He was not in a strong position—if Chelsea loses to Newcastle on Saturday, his remarks will be extremely embarrassing.
Furthermore, this incident seems unnecessary. Chelsea has not put pressure on Maresca to win a trophy this season; they only want to see signs of progress.
The strategy formulated by co-owner Behdad Eghbali, and executed by the recruitment team, is starting to work. Chelsea has built a talented young squad, currently sitting fourth in the league, and remains in all cup competitions. They are far from being in a crisis.
Admittedly, some of Maresca’s recent team selection and tactical decisions have not been well-received. But overall, since he took over from Mauricio Pochettino, he has done an excellent job. Chelsea secured Champions League qualification, won last season’s Europa Conference League title, and defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final this summer.
Even though Maresca has had to deal with a disrupted pre-season and long-term injuries to Cole Palmer, Cesare Draper, and Levi Colwill this season, he has still maintained the team’s progress.
That said, it would be a major miscalculation if Maresca believes his achievements entitle him to more power. Coaches who want to manage at Chelsea must integrate into the club’s collaborative system. Their voice matters, but it is by no means a one-man dictatorship.
Stability stems from the sports management team. It would be naive of Maresca to stir up internal conflict.
The current direction of the situation is unpredictable. After Levi Colwill tore his anterior cruciate ligament in August, Maresca requested the signing of a new center-back but was rejected, which sparked tension within the club.
The key dilemma is that when Chelsea fields its strongest lineup, it is good enough to compete with any opponent. However, some of their key players cannot play three games a week. Wesley Fofana is one such player, yet the replacements at center-back are hardly convincing.
Chelsea supports Maresca in reasonably managing the team’s workload. The problem is that when he makes personnel adjustments, the overall quality of the team drops.
Maresca once stated that André Santos is not as good as Moises Caicedo in the midfield position, and since 19-year-old defender Jorrel Hato put in a poor performance against Qarabağ last month, Maresca has lacked trust in him.
Argentine forward Facundo Buonanotte, on loan from Brighton, has not been included in the league squad since last October.
Maresca has often spoken highly of Chelsea’s plans. But the problem now is that his remarks have made the outside world question his true thoughts.
He brought this on himself with his comments on Saturday and should have worked harder to defuse the situation. Any further signs of dissatisfaction will do him no good in continuing to manage Chelsea next season.
