Enzo Maresca insists there is “no reason to be negative” at Chelsea as he continues to be backed by the board at Stamford Bridge.
Blues supporters showed their dissatisfaction with Maresca and his team during the closing stages of Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat to Brighton.
It was a third loss in four for Chelsea in all competitions and the second in which they had collapsed after going down to 10 men, following Trevoh Chalobah’s 53rd-minute red card that precipitated a capitulation from a one-goal lead and command of the match.
However, during his press conference ahead of Chelsea’s reunion with Jose Mourinho when Benfica visit Stamford Bridge in the Champions League, Maresca pointed out that Chelsea have only lost five games in the last six months, with four of them when they were reduced to 10 men, suggesting there was plenty to be positive about for the Blues.
“We need to be positive because first of all it is what the players need,” Maresca said. “Secondly, because I think there is no reason to be negative.
“This morning the club showed me a stat that in the last six months we lost five games, four of them with a red card [for a Chelsea player].
“For sure we like to win games, but also the reality is there is not any pressure. The only pressure is that being at Chelsea as a player or a manager you need to win games, there is no doubt, but the reality is that for different reasons, injury or red cards, we lost five games in six months.
“At the same time I think it is something that is not bad.”
FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Chelsea’s match against Brighton in the Premier League.
This is the latest wave of pressure to come upon the Italian during his 15-month spell in charge, but Chelsea have full confidence in Maresca and their head coach is not under any extra pressure despite a relatively disappointing start to the season.
At the midpoint of last season fans appeared to have been won over and during a 5-1 win at Southampton in December sang “we’ve got our Chelsea back” as the team – free-scoring at that point – climbed to second.
Things soured with a poor league run that saw them scrape into the top five on the final day, but the sight of the team lifting the Conference League and Club World Cup trophies went some of the way towards placating fans.
Asked what he needed to do to ensure he keeps the Chelsea supporters on side, he said: “Probably continue to win trophies.
Maresca’s side have a reunion with Jose Mourinho on Tuesday when Benfica visit Stamford Bridge
“I would like it one day for sure (for fans to sing my name) but it’s not my target. I’m happy if they can sing ‘we’ve got our Chelsea back’, because that means as a team we are doing something important.
“For sure (it would be special), but if they sing ‘we’ve got our Chelsea back’, I’m already happy. Maybe one day they can sing my name even more.”
A smattering of supporters near the dugout booed the team at the final whistle against Brighton, while some had earlier directed their unhappiness at Maresca directly.
“Most of the time the fans react with the results,” he said. “After a defeat it’s normal the fans are not happy, the club is not happy.
“If in this moment after five defeats in six months we are not happy, this probably shows a lack of balance in this sport. It’s a sport I’m in for the last 30 years, so I know exactly that it’s like this.”
Chelsea keeping the faith with Maresca
Kaveh Solhekol explains whether Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is under any extra pressure in his job after a disappointing start to the season.
Latest from Sky Sports News chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol:
Chelsea have full confidence in Maresca and their head coach is not under any extra pressure despite a relatively disappointing start to the season.
No-one is hitting the panic button at Stamford Bridge. The target for Maresca’s side remains qualifying for the Champions League again and challenging for trophies in all the competitions they are playing in this season.
Maresca – and his players – will be fully evaluated at the end of the season, not in September after six league games. Chelsea are still eighth in the table after losing twice and one win away from the top four.
Chelsea qualified for the Champions League and won two trophies last season. Chelsea believe they have a stronger squad now and Maresca and his players are still well-placed to build on last season’s successes.
Maresca has been told the club are fully behind him and there is still all to play for this season.
This is not the first time Chelsea have experienced a slump under Maresca. Last season they won only two league games between mid-December and the final week of February. Chelsea kept faith with Maresca then and they will do the same again now.
‘Pressure ramping up on Maresca’
Paul Merson believes the presure is starting to ramp up on Maresca
Sky Sports’ Paul Merson insists the pressure is ramping up on Chelsea boss Maresca after his side suffered a 3-1 defeat to Brighton at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues are now without a win in three league matches and Merson believes Maresca would be under ‘severe’ pressure with a third straight defeat against Liverpool next weekend.
“Chelsea never have long spells of dominance in games,” Merson told Soccer Saturday. “You knew Brighton were going to have their time, and they did. In the end, they thoroughly deserved the win.
“Chelsea have to keep players on the pitch. You look at the last two fixtures and you are thinking six points for Chelsea.
“They’ve got no points from Man Utd and Brighton, and it’s so disappointing. The pressure is ramping up on Maresca,” he added.
“They are a million miles from being convincing. They have a 20-minute spell in the game where you think ‘Wow! They are good’. They were amazing in the first 20 or so against Brighton.
“Then it just fizzles out. They can have another good 10 minutes but then it fizzles out again.
“It’s a big week coming up now. They face Benfica and a certain Jose Mourinho before playing Liverpool. If they lose to Liverpool that would be three defeats on the spin in the league. That would be pressure. Maresca would be under severe pressure.”
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