The Manager Maresca Describes Pre-Match Period as The 'Most Difficult 48 Hours' with the Club

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

The Italian made a somewhat cryptic message in his post-match press conference even after securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to finishes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.

Those crucial points lifted Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four, potentially improving the mood after a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the team's drought without a win to four fixtures.

However, when asked about the full-back's assist and general performance, Maresca surprisingly shared his displeasure over the preceding 48-hour period within the organization.

"How the players want to develop has been excellent and this is the reason why I praise them - because with a host of problems, they are doing very well after a complicated week," he commented.

"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the most difficult because many people didn't support us."

Pressed on the specifics, the ex- Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I joined the club because people failed to back me and the team."

When questioned if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "Broadly speaking. In general," before specifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the press: "I love the fans and we are very content with the fans."

Injury & Suspension Crisis

Maresca also pointed to Chelsea's persistent fitness and disciplinary issues, noting they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, in addition to losing key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and striker Liam Delap to a couple of significant injuries.

"I really applaud the players and the squad because we played 16 Premier League games, five of them minus Moises Caicedo, eleven of them minus Cole Palmer, almost all of them minus Liam Delap," he explained.

"And this squad, no matter who is playing, they are performing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so for sure when you see Cole Palmer available, we have said many times that he's our best player but we play almost all season without our top player.

"We play five 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 want people outside to acknowledge because the effort from the players is fantastic."

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

Speculation Regarding Maresca's Remark

It was ambiguous who or what prompted Maresca to describe the previous 48 hours as the worst of his spell as Chelsea manager.

In that timeframe, the coach had traveled back with his backroom team and players from Bergamo, conducted a training session at the training ground, faced a pre-game news conference where he seemed at ease, and engineered a win over an high-flying Everton team.

It was unclear whether any particular press stories had irked him, if online comments were a factor, or if it was something more significant from within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca only sought to rule out that it was an issue involving the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully warm to him since his appointment from Leicester in July last year.