Only league champions get their picture on the wall in the Drake Suite at Stamford Bridge. The room is named after Ted Drake, the author of Chelsea’s first title, and features images of a host of club legends: a beaming Carlo Ancelotti, one of Antonio Conte kissing the Premier League trophy and, as Enzo Maresca no doubt noted as he arrived to preview his young side’s Champions League tie with Benfica, three photographs of the manager whose latest return to west London conjures wistful memories of the days when Chelsea were the most feared team in England.
Here comes the Special One. José Mourinho, who won three league titles across two spells at Chelsea, is in town with Benfica and will surely enjoy a wonderful reception. Maresca, meanwhile, inspires less warmth. He has taken Chelsea back into the Champions League, along with winning the Conference League and the Club World Cup, but does not have his name sung by fans and was booed after losing 3-1 to Brighton on Saturday.
There has been a lot of noise since the weekend, much of it focused on how consecutive defeats in the league to Manchester United and Brighton are hardly the ideal way to prepare for Mourinho. Chelsea remain fully behind Maresca, with the plan still to wait until the end of the season to evaluate the manager, but this is a big week. Maresca was right to call for calm, justifiably arguing that only in a “crazy world” does a manager have to defend his record after five defeats in six months, but he knows that the heat is on before Chelsea host Benfica on Tuesday night and Liverpool on Saturday.
Will Maresca ever be up there with Ancelotti, Conte, Drake and Mourinho? The Italian said that he was happy there are pictures of him with the Club World Cup at the training ground. Perspective is required. Chelsea still do not look ready for a title challenge, even after spending billions, and need a positive response against Benfica after losing to Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener, but the angst is overblown. It was nowhere to be seen, for instance, when Maresca masterminded victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final two months ago.
Not that it was all defiance from Maresca, who was happy to acknowledge that criticism of his negative response when Chelsea were reduced to 10 men against United and Brighton was correct. “After reviewing the last two games I could have done better,” he said. “There are many, many things that I need to learn. Playing with 10 players is something that probably I need to do better.”
That self-awareness will be welcomed by the Chelsea hierarchy. There have been some raised eyebrows at Maresca’s recent calls. He went ultra-defensive after Robert Sánchez was sent off against United, immediately substituting Pedro Neto and Estêvão, and was similarly timid after Trevoh Chalobah saw red when Chelsea were leading against Brighton.
Maresca must make better use of a deep, talented squad. His first move after Chalobah’s dismissal against Brighton was understandable, Andrey Santos sacrificed and Josh Acheampong coming on to bolster the defence. Yet the next substitution was infuriating, Estêvão hooked and Malo Gusto introduced because Maresca wanted the France full-back to help Reece James deal with Yankuba Minteh on the right.
The ploy failed. Minteh skipping past Gusto to make Brighton’s equaliser heightened the frustration. There had earlier been a moment when Gusto charged through on the right, space in front of him, only to stop and play backwards when a winger would have carried on.
The message, though, comes from the dugout. Maresca must be bolder. Why not introduce Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens or Tyrique George on the right and push Minteh back? Chelsea had no way to counterattack. They put too much pressure on their 19-year-old centre-backs, Acheampong and Jorrel Hato.
after newsletter promotion
Lesson learned. There is sympathy for Maresca. A growing injury list is an obvious factor. Cole Palmer is out with a groin problem, Liam Delap is a long-term absentee up front, a host of centre-backs are out and Maresca said that Moisés Caicedo, João Pedro and Santos were doubts to face Benfica.
The strain is telling. The Champions League adds to the workload and it cannot be forgotten that Chelsea did not have a proper pre-season because of the Club World Cup. There has been little rest. Palmer has carried his groin problem for a year and needs to be rested more. Caicedo also looks exhausted but the midfielder’s deputy, Dário Essugo, has just had surgery on a thigh injury.
Perhaps some calm is required. Maresca must make better selection decisions – time to show more faith in two of his big summer signings, Garnacho and Gittens – and rotate more but this is hardly crisis territory. The margins are fine. Chelsea were moments away from winning at Brentford, only to doze off at a long throw. They just have to stop giving gifts away. Four of their past five defeats have come with 10 men.
“There is not any reason to panic,” Maresca said. He has support from above. Behdad Eghbali, the co-controlling owner, and members of the recruitment team headed for the dressing room area after the Brighton game. There was no inquest, though, merely a reminder that this is just another challenging moment for a young team to overcome. Maresca will be given time to get his picture on the wall.
