Chelsea have had a good start to life under Enzo Maresca as they sit third in the Premier League table.
The Blues endured two poor seasons prior to this one, finishing 12th in 2022/23 and only just getting sixth place last term.
However, Maresca has hit the ground running at Chelsea and had led them to the upper reaches of the Premier League table.
In addition, the Blues are flying through the Europa Conference League group stages, though they did exit the Carabao Cup in the fourth round.
All in all, Chelsea have been doing a good job of proving quite a few pundits wrong when it comes to their pre-season predictions.
Indeed, one prediction Jamie Carragher made at the start of the season has been proven massively wrong already.
Ex Liverpool skipper now football pundit Jamie Carragher before the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Liverpool FC at St Mary's Stadi...
Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images
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Jamie Carragher said Enzo Maresca is ‘really inexperienced’ and would find it ‘really tough’ at Chelsea
Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports in August, said Chelsea made a “big mistake” in sacking Mauricio Pochettino.
The former Liverpool man also said Maresca is “really inexperienced” and would have a “really tough job” at Stamford Bridge.
Carragher also backed either Aston Villa to get into the European places ahead of Chelsea, with Newcastle also in the hunt.
When asked by Gary Neville whether he thought Chelsea would finish higher than sixth, Carragher replied: “No, I don’t think so.
“I think they made a big mistake getting rid of the manager, Pochettino, it was a big mistake. We know he’s a top manager, great experience.
“Maresca is a young manager, he is really inexperienced and I think to throw him in here now, I think it’s a really tough job, so I can’t see them finishing in the top (six).
“Listen, they’ll be battling out for the European places, I think Newcastle will be there as well with Aston Villa, I just think Aston Villa will get it.”
What Maresca is like behind the scenes at Chelsea
While the latter point is obviously still up for debate with so much of the season left to play, Carragher certainly underestimated Maresca.
As well as impressing in terms of results, the Italian seems to be a hit around Cobham, with Ben Jacobs lifting the lid on Maresca’s demeanour at the training ground.
According to the journalist, Maresca is often having a laugh with his players and creating an atmosphere of calmness, humour and authority.
“He’s very hands on at Cobham on the training field, he’s kicking balls, he’s taking ice baths with them, he’s having banter with them,” Jacobs said on the London is Blue podcast.
“People don’t realise that because when you become a manager you become a bit of a schoolteacher, but when he was at West Brom he was the joker and the prankster.
“People don’t realise there’s that softer side and there’s that humour, he’s managed to find that balance of calmness and authority, but also engage with his squad on a human level.”
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