Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been in charge for nearly 3 months and he has had a very positive start – 5th in the league table, whilst only losing to Manchester City in the league. His impact to the Chelsea squad has been substantial to their season so far and it seems like the fans truly trust the process.
Enzo Maresca’s career so far:
Before Chelsea, Enzo Maresca had a spell at West Ham as the Assistant Manager from July 2018 till December 2019, assistant manager with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City from July 5th 2022 till June 30th 2023. Learning off Pep Guardiola gave Maresca the guidance he needed to win Leicester the Championship just a season after leaving Manchester City.
This caught the eye of Chelsea and they decided Maresca was the man for the job, even whilst being linked with Thomas Tuchel, the Italian was appointed manager on July the 1st 2024 and has full backing from the club and fans.
Why his tactics caught Chelsea’s eye:
Maresca winning the Championship with Leicester was a big reason Chelsea made him their manager, as well as the fact he’s worked with managerial greats like Ancelotti, Zidane and Pep. How did he win it though?
Maresca developed a high intensity side that pressed very high and aggressive, whilst dominating their opponents in the possession field. His side would often win the ball back very quickly after losing it, using a box midfield to trap opponents in possession.
He also utilised the modern inverted fullback, something Euros winner Marc Cucurella is well equipped for at Chelsea, having done with Pochettino. Another Leicester player, Harry Winks, was a vital ball playing midfielder that helped them win the league, with Moises Caicedo being an even better version of that. Enzo also brought in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for £30 million.
Dewsbury-Hall was a key player for Maresca last season, being a progressive midfielder that will work incredibly hard and when attacking, act as a number 10, like he did brilliantly with Jamie Vardy last season. Kieran registered 14 assists and 12 goals.
How will the new arrivals suit Maresca?
You can’t really talk about Chelsea without mentioning their signings. They have spent 219 million this window and Maresca has brought in a catalogue of talent. Pedro Neto arrived from Wolves for £60 million, Joao Felix for £52 million from Athletico Madrid, as well as Jadon Sancho on loan from Manchester United.
Neto and Sancho give Maresca incredible young attacking depth, extending this exciting youthful team and making players fight for their place in the squad too. Sancho got man of the match in his debut and has registered 2 assists in his first two games – it seems Maresca is getting the most out of Jadon.
Neto has also looked very positive going forward with his blistering pace and direct runs, he could also be a superstar for the Blues. Finally, Tosin Adarabioyo has been extremely positive in the two games he’s been involved in, being an absolute rock for Chelsea while they mourn Tiago Silva’s absence.
Problems with ownership:
Chelsea have back to back wins in the league and sit 5th in the table, so fans can only be hopeful of Enzo’s blues. Things look exciting at Chelsea but with this being said it seems the positive results are covering the true drama going on behind the scenes.
There are rumours of an ownership splitting up between Todd Boehly and Clearlake representative Behdad Eghbal, as tensions rise between the two its clear there has always been issues but usually its kept behind a closed curtain. Thankfully, the conflict within the club hasn’t translated to the pitch but an ownership split could have a serious effect on Maresca’s Chelsea.
The biggest test for the Italian is his upcoming fixtures in the league. Chelsea have Newcastle, Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal all within their next 6 league games, so Maresca sure has his work cut out and it will be interesting to see if he can carry his current momentum out. His side certainly look like a team that could battle for Europe but how will they play against the top sides in the league?
The future looks bright for Maresca and Chelsea. They have a team that leaks talent and has the fanbase behind them. There are problems behind the scenes with ownership but as long as it doesn’t effect the team on the front lines, fans should be hopeful that Enzo Maresca could take Chelsea back to the top.
