Enzo Maresca is largely a continuity candidate at Chelsea. After Mauricio Pochettino proved a little too independent for the liking of our owners and sporting directors, they went in search of someone who would stay in their lane a little more.
That doesn’t mean Maresca lacks authority or original ideas however – in fact he was asked about one of his innovations by Sky Sports ahead of kick off today. We’re not sure how they found about this little quirk – but it certainly made for an interesting response.
The Blues coach has been putting staff and players on different buses, contrary to the usual setup. He answered questions about that decision pre-match today. According to him, as you’d expect “if we win, the way back is always better.”
You can see Maresca explain his thinking in the clip embedded here:
[Footage from Sky Sports Premier League]
Maresca uses the authority of top tier player to make interesting changes
Overall the manager is showing a lot of really important leadership and know how when it comes to keeping players happy. This is one of the advantages of a coach who has played at the top himself. Ok he wasn’t a Frank Lampard or a Ruud Van Nistelrooy in his playing days, but he played for top teams and in big games through his career. He certainly has credit in the bank.
These things won’t always work out, but at least he has the authority of experience behind the thought process. Someone like Graham Potter (no offence) is going to have bigger question marks over any unusual move he makes, no matter whether it’s a smart move or not.
We wonder what other interesting decisions the Italian coach will make, especially once he gets established and comfortable in charge at Stamford Bridge.