Maresca said the ‘environment’ at Stamford Bridge failed his team against Ipswich, but the Italian’s comment has roused the ire of fans.
Enzo Maresca has faced criticism from both fans and pundits after the Chelsea manager blamed the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge for going two goals down against relegation-threatened Ipswich Town.
The game eventually ended in a 2-2 draw after Marc Cucurella forced an Ipswich own goal and Jadon Sancho scored from a shot into the top-corner. However, it left Chelsea sixth in the Premier League table and in danger of missing out on Champions League football for the third season in a row.
Many Chelsea fans have been displeased with the team’s form since December, especially the slow start to games and the poor attempts at building out from the back. Club No 1 Robert Sánchez was booed against Ipswich after particularly poor distribution.
After the game, Maresca suggested that they conceded two goals because the environment at Stamford Bridge was hostile to the players.
“I think we lost a little bit of confidence,” said Maresca, “because we conceded, probably because [of] the environment, and this is the moment that you are to continue doing the right things and [not] change plan.
“Most of the time we are a team that start [our goal kick] from playing short. The second goal we decided to play long because the environment was there, and we conceded the second one.”
But pundits feel that Maresca is only making himself more unpopular than he already is, not to mention starting a war with fans that he cannot hope to win.
Simon Jordan, speaking on talkSPORT, believes that the team’s poor performance against lower-ranked teams has contributed to the poor atmosphere by being discouraging for fans.
“When you’re playing teams like Ipswich, Leicester or Southampton,” said Jordan, “there’s a challenge because there’s an almost baked-in assumption from the fans that you’re going to put them to the sword.
“And if you find yourself two goals down against a team that’s getting relegated, I’m not entirely sure what you expect from your fans.”
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown also agreed that the performance has been too underwhelming for fans to jump on the Maresca bus.
“At the end of the day, this fan base has been brought up on 21 trophies in 19 seasons with the former regime,” said Keown, “so they know what it’s about to win things, and they’re not convinced.
“And that’s a difficult environment for this young team to play in without a doubt, and that’s what [Maresca] is up against.
“But you need that unity.”
Speaking further on Maresca’s relationship with the fan base, Keown said: “At Christmas, when it looked like they could go for the title, he talked them out of it.
“And in a way they’re not used to that at Chelsea, you’ve got to always be in the mix.”
