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Enzo Maresca believes Chelsea are going in the “right direction”, with the manager defending his style of play and asking fans to “trust the team”.
Chelsea face Legia Warsaw at home in the Conference League quarter-final second leg on Thursday, with a passage to the semi-finals all but sealed after a 3-0 win last week.
There has been less joy of late in the Premier League, however, with booing home supporters making their discontent clear during a 2-2 draw with Ipswich at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Chelsea sit sixth in the league with six games left as they chase Champions League qualification, with Maresca’s patient and possession‑heavy formula under focus.
“In the last two years, Chelsea has been top four zero times,” the head coach said. “This season we have been top four most of our season. I was not here last season, two years ago. So I’m not judging what’s happened last year or two years ago. I’m just judging this season. And this is the reason why I think fans, they have to trust the team, they have to trust the club, what we are doing now.
“I think it’s quite clear that the direction is the right one. The style is the right one. Before the Ipswich game, we were the third‑best defenders after Arsenal and Liverpool. And the third- or fourth‑best attacking. They are numbers that show that the team is doing well.”
Chelsea finished sixth last season under Mauricio Pochettino; the year before they were 12th. Before last weekend’s fixtures, the club were fifth in the league in terms of goals scored (54) and fourth in terms of fewest conceded (37).
In regards to unrest among supporters, Maresca said: “If fans complain because after four minutes our keeper gave the ball away, if I am one of the fans, I also complain. But sometimes also they complain with something that probably they cannot see, but it’s a planned game.
“The fans, with us, they have been always good. Sometimes they are not happy, but when you are 0-2 at home against Ipswich and we are making some mistakes, it’s normal that they are not happy.
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“The last six Premier League games at home we faced Southampton, Leicester, Wolves, West Ham, Spurs and Ipswich. We won five out of six. Probably the one that the people more enjoy has been the Spurs one.
“But Spurs was the only team in the last six games at home that were trying to press higher. So this is the reason why probably we attack more and we attack more quick. But against the rest, they just wait inside the box, it’s a different game. So we need to learn how to play different kind of games.”
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