The Boss Enzo Maresca Describes Lead-Up Time as His 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' at the Blues

Chelsea tactician Enzo Maresca stated that the preparation to the weekend's win against Everton constituted "the worst 48 hours" he has experienced at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old offered a puzzling message in his post-match interview despite earning a 2-0 win at home thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those three precious points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, perhaps lightening the mood after a loss to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's drought without a win to four outings.

But, when asked about the full-back's assist and overall performance, Maresca surprisingly divulged his annoyance over the preceding two days within the organization.

"The way the players want to learn has been superb and this is the explanation why I applaud them - because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a tricky week," he said.

"Since I joined the club, the previous 48 hours have been the worst because several people didn't support us."

When pushed further on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back 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 extremely happy with the fans."

Fitness and Suspension Woes

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's ongoing injury and disciplinary issues, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the campaign, in addition to being deprived of linchpin Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I truly praise the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, eleven of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he said.

"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing fantastic. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our top player but we play almost all season without our best player.

"We play 5 games in the Premier League without Moises Caicedo. This is the reason why I'm so delighted for the players and it's something that I would like people outside to acknowledge because the work from the players is outstanding."

Chelsea's win over Everton cemented their position in fourth in the Premier League table, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come in the coming days.

Uncertainty Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous who or what caused Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his spell as Chelsea manager.

In that period, the Italian had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed at ease, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton team.

It was hard to discern whether any particular press stories had irked him, if online discourse played a role, or if it was something deeper from inside the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue related to the club's supporters, a section of which have still have yet to fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.