While Roy Keane was on one channel defending Enzo Maresca’s treatment of Reece James this week, Melissa Reddy was another calling the open criticism of the captain’s leadership skills “uncomfortable.”
The host called them “scathing” comments and Reddy didn’t disagree. You can see her thoughts in the clip from Sky Sports embedded here:
“I have been a bit taken aback by how open and honest [Maresca] is. While some managers would absolutely not say such things in public, there have been quite a few occasions now where he’s been talking about [for example] their high line,” Reddy explained, referring back to her experiences on the US tour where she followed Maresca and Chelsea.
“The way he dismantled how the team was defending and how they’d been previously primed… I was like wow. It’s wonderful to have a manager so open, but you’re not used to it, and it comes across and blunt and brutal.”
Maresca may just be warming up with James criticism
Maresca is starting to get comfortable now he’s had a few months in the job and has a few wins under his bely. We wonder which player might be next in getting some very blunt criticism from him publicly? There are a few candidates who we’d have liked to have seen given similar treatment over the past couple of years.
It’s going to be very interesting to see how it works with James. While there’s no doubt the criticism stings, Maresca is also giving with one hand while he takes away with the other – James is starting his second game in a row after a return from injury, a great validation of Maresca’s belief in his ability as a player.
We’re sure there will be some very performative embraces and handshakes between them on the touchline if things go well for the Blues today.