Before Chelsea’s trip to the City Ground, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was asked if he felt sorry for Ange Postecoglou. Since taking over on September 9, Postecoglou has not won a game in seven tries, which has put even more pressure on him.
Forest has dropped to 17th in the Premier League. They have five points this season and have conceded 2.4 goals per league match, which shows that their defense is weak and their performance is inconsistent.
About the pressure on the Australian manager, Maresca said:
“Sadly, this is a business where you have to win games, and that’s true for Ange and any other manager in the world. If you don’t win games. Sorry, but it’s our job and you’re under a lot of stress.
Postecoglou has publicly defended his record by pointing to past successes and asking people to be patient. He said that his projects will pay off over time and pointed to successes at Tottenham, saying that Forest’s process needs time to work.
The matchday will focus on Forest’s decline and whether Postecoglou can quickly stabilize results to calm the worries of fans and owners.
Enzo Maresca downplays talk about Chelsea chief Eghbali before Forest trip
Before today’s match against Nottingham Forest, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca answered questions about his contact with co-owner Behdad Eghbali. He said that their most recent conversation was normal and the conversation was just a normal way for the club to talk to the higher-ups during a busy time.
After losses earlier this season, there has been a lot of talk about boardroom involvement. However, Maresca has downplayed the seriousness of their conversations, telling the press:
“I spoke with Behdad on Thursday night. It was just a normal conversation like almost every week. Even if you [the media] struggle to accept or to understand.”
Meanwhile, the availability of the squad is a cause for concern. Cole Palmer will miss more weeks because of a groin problem, which will make things harder for the Blues’ goalscoring hopes. The club is also dealing with other fitness issues while trying to balance its European and domestic commitments.
Chelsea come into the game looking to build on their pre-break success, while Forest wants to improve their performance at home.