Enzo Maresca will begin life as Chelsea’s new manager with a home clash against Manchester City on August 18.
It has been some rise for the Italian because, only a couple of seasons ago, he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad and winning Premier League titles.
But now Enzo Maresca has decided to jump in the pressure cooker of management, starting with helping Leicester City earn promotion to the Championship and now aiming to turn Chelsea’s ship around.
John Terry sent a transfer warning to Chelsea after Mauricio Pochettino’s exit, with the sense that there is now more pressure on the new man in the dugout than ever before.
You question how Chelsea fans will react if Maresca starts slowly because emotions are running high at Stamford Bridge.
But behind the scenes, how are things starting off for Maresca? With ex-Blues man Scott Minto providing an insight.
It’s probably not what Chelsea fans want to hear because all they care about is the end result, but the positive vibes are still flowing.
Under Pochettino, the feeling was that the environment around the place was a positive one and players enjoyed the ex-Tottenham man’s training sessions.
And, according to Minto on talkSPORT (21/07/24 at 4:50 pm), that hasn’t changed under Maresca because he is ‘hearing’ that the players are ‘enjoying’ his training sessions – Christopher Nkunku also shared his verdict on Maresca’s training sessions at Chelsea.
At least Maresca isn’t in Arne Slot’s situation, Steve Nicol is raging at what Slot is already doing in Liverpool training, with both clubs changing coaches this summer.
Chelsea training under Enzo Maresca
“Maresca is clearly a very good coach,” said Minto “If he does hit the ground running, I am hearing good reports that the lads are enjoying his training, then there is every chance that he could do well.
“I like the style. I know Leicester fans were a little bit, we are seeing the same thing and we need to adjust. And sometimes, the Championship can be brutal. But let’s face it, they won it. They won the Championship, so you can’t keep all of the people happy all of the time.
“It’s going to be good football. But Chelsea fans have been used to a certain way of play and winning for a couple of decades, and ultimately, that’s what it’s all about. It doesn’t matter what style is, it’s just about winning.”
Chelsea’s summer transfer window
As always, it’s eventful, with six names coming through the doors, mainly highly-rated youngsters, which is frustrating the supporters.
The fans want their club to sign those proven players, especially after Thiago Silva left.
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Sources have told HITC that Chelsea are willing to submit a bid for Julian Alvarez amid Manchester City’s stance.
Now, he would be a player that would lift supporters off their seats, but you just can’t see it happening given the road the club’s new owners have gone down since they took over.
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