Former Blue Gus Poyet has explained why it’s now so difficult to judge managers at Chelsea as Enzo Maresca prepares for his first season in charge.
The Blues once again changed managers this summer with Mauricio Pochettino departing after just one season in charge with Maresca the man chosen to replace him.
Maresca faces a tough task at Stamford Bridge and will be under pressure to get the club back into the Champions League and win silverware.
Poyet on why it’s difficult to judge Chelsea managers
The Blues have endured a mixed pre-season under Mareseca and results wise they recorded just one win from their six games.
However, results in pre-season aren’t the most important thing and there were certainly positives to take in terms of injured players getting much needed minutes, as well as the squad starting to get to grips with what Maresca is asking of them.
Chelsea look good going forward and have created a lot of chances in pre-season, but they have looked vulnerable defensively with the Blues needing to improve having conceded a club record number of goals in the league last season.
It will be interesting to see how the 44-year-old fares but Poyet has admitted it’s difficult to judge Chelsea managers now because we don’t know what the club’s expectations are.
“The thing that we we don’t know is, what are the objectives of the club?,” he told Mail Sport.
“Sometimes as coaches, we can put to the players privately what we think our realistic objectives are.
“But then people outside have different ones. Until Abramovich left, they were expecting to win. The Chelsea fans, they were used to winning so it’s not easy (for the coaches).
“That is why they need time, but that time gets shorter and shorter because of the expectations, but the expectations are different on the outside because of the history.
“It’s important that Maresca starts well and I would love him to have time but I said the same with Potter and I said the same with Pochettino.”
Maresca will take charge of his first competitive game on Sunday and he couldn’t have asked for a tougher start than a visit from the champions Manchester City.
