LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 08: Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea, celebrates following the team's victory in the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 08, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Enzo Maresca has masterminded Chelsea's turnaround
The transformation has been one of the most eye-catching stories of the season.
Chelsea were written off as a laughing stock and branded as the “blue billion pound bottle jobs” by TV pundit Gary Neville only ten months. Their spending under co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boelhy has been extravagant as they have signed 39 players in the last three years.
But, now, we can see the rewards as Chelsea have emerged as the Premier League’s unlikely title challengers as they go into this weekend just four points behind Liverpool. And at the heart of it is a clear vision rather than a scatter gun approach because Chelsea now have the youngest squad in the Premier League who are managed by a coach who prides himself on working with young players.
Enzo Maresca has arguably been the final piece in the Chelsea jigsaw as he has brought together a huge, bloated unsettled squad and turned them into a winning machine. According to stats from Transfermarkt, the average age of Chelsea’s squad is 23.4 years which is more than a year younger than Brighton whose average age is 24.5.
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That is why they went for Maresca. The former Leicester boss worked with Cole Palmer when he was a youth coach at Manchester City and Maresca had a clear connection with the England star and other young players. Maresca, 44, is a warm, engaging character who, according to the dressing room, is “straight and fair.”
He does not want to be too matey with the players but is someone they can talk to. But Maresca can also be ruthless as he has shown with both Noni Madueke and Reece James this season. The Italian went public to question James’ leadership qualities and admitted he expects more from Chelsea’s captain.
Let’s be clear: Maresca inherited James as his skipper and yet, because of injuries, the England defender has been a bit-part player this season. Would he choose him if he was picking a captain now? It is hard to argue he would.
Then came brutal treatment for Madueke. His level dropped for ONE DAY in training and was axed for Chelsea’s win over Aston Villa. That taught him a lesson and he came back with a goal and an assist in their next game, a thumping 5-1 win at Southampton. That is how to get a response out of a player.
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Cole Palmer and Co. are firmly in the Premier League title race
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Image:
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But Marseca also has a tough edge to his management style. Chelsea were ruthless over Raheem Sterling who was told bluntly he has no future, Maresca spelt it out and the club loaned him out. It is better to be honest.
Last season, Mauricio Pochettino struggled to make Chelsea’s midfield work. This season, Maresca has got the best out of Moises Caicedo and has not shied away from dropping Enzo Fernandez to get the balance right. Romeo Lavia is a better foil.
It was suddenly on Fernandez to win back his place. Finally we are seeing the best of all three. In the summer, when Fernandez was caught on video making racist and homophobic slurs while on international duty, it could have destroyed another dressing room. But, again, Maresca handled it well and sensitively.
That was a learning experience for a young manager from a horrible, dreadful episode. But they came through it. However, without a shadow of a doubt, Maresca’s biggest achievement was to unify the squad. That came from something really quite simple but Maresca broke it down for the players in team meetings at the start of the season - and they have not looked back since.
Last season, Chelsea had so many players they could not all fit into the dressing room. Nothing poisons a dressing room as quickly as when you have unhappy players who know they are not going to play. It affects training and morale in games. So, rather than try to keep 25-plus players happy, Maresca broke it down in simple terms. There are two players competing for each position. It sounds simplistic - and it is.
Palmer knows he is competing with Joao Felix. Jadon Sancho is competing with Mykhaylo Mudryk and Pedro Neto. Madueke commonly starts on the right. Nicolas Jackson - who has been a revelation under Maresca - must see off Christopher Nkunku. It has removed some of the doubt while, at the same time, heightened the competition because players know who they are up against.
Finally, Chelsea’s grand plan appears to be coming together - and they have got years in front of them because they are so young. Meanwhile, the Chelsea hierarchy - ridiculed and told they know nothing about football - have taken a step back. They no longer court the limelight. But equally, the more they were told they were clueless, the more determined they were to get it right.
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