Enzo Maresca has had his ups and downs as a Chelsea manager. And the fans have not always been behind him. That being said, there is a recognition that he has perhaps done better than most expected when he was appointed straight from Leicester City. Some of the performances against top teams like Barcelona, PSG, Liverpool and Arsenal have been impressive as well. Now, it is up to the Italian to figure out how to turn these sparks into a constant beam of light.
Consistency is what is missing at Chelsea right now. Perhaps that is to be expected. This is a young squad that is still learning on the fly in many ways.
This inconsistency was clear recently. After the terrific win against Barcelona, the Blues found themselves in a four-game winless run.
Amid all this, some of the manager's comments raised eyebrows as well and left the fans questioning who he was talking about. As reported by ESPN, Maresca said:
"The last 48 hours has been the worst since I joined the club because many people didn't support me and the team."
David Ornstein explains Enzo Maresca's cryptic Chelsea comments
Reading those comments, most would think that he was talking about the fans. But then, Maresca went on to say:
"I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."
So, who was he talking about? Well, that is still not clear, but David Ornstein discussed the matter while talking on NBC Sports Soccer.
Ornstein speculated that perhaps Maresca was unhappy with something that was said in meetings during their four-game winless run. After all, there have been suggestions that he might not be happy with the sporting direction of the club.
Ornstein also mentioned how Maresca had hired Jorge Mendes earlier this year. Perhaps that was done with an eye on the future.
Is Maresca's time at Chelsea set to come to an end in the near future? Is there friction behind the scenes with the ownership or sporting directors? All these are questions many are raising at the moment.