Enzo Maresca has turned the temperature down on Chelsea a bit for now. He’s decided to save some pennies by turning the heating down a bit this winter, and he’s probably smart to do so.
For some, we probably like to hear our managers shouting out that Chelsea are back, and Chelsea are going to win the league, etc, etc, etc. But for me, I think some realism is important.
Yesterday’s performance was the best and most complete one I’ve seen from Chelsea from start to finish against a top side in many years. We saw Maresca’s style of football from the off and throughout the game, completely dominating the play. It’s coming together. It really did make me wonder that actually, Chelsea might be back here. The confidence that the players are playing with and how much they universally love and respect the gaffer, is all great ingredients for a lovely meal!
But Maresca is wise to turn the heat down on this young team and not pile on the pressure. We are doing well, but we must still curb expectations and give a realistic outlook of where we are at. It’s coming, and maybe we do still surprise many with our end position this season, but even still, I think we need to keep things cool for now.
Maresca was asked whether Chelsea were title contenders on Sunday. He replied:
“I do not agree with that. We are not ready to compete with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City for many reasons. Because we win today, I am not going to change my idea. We are not ready for that.
“The good thing is we are improving. Soon, hopefully we can be there.”
I mean, when you look at the table right now, after 13 games played, it is actually factual that we are currently contending for a title and are even above City who are in the trenches. But in the grand scheme of things, the season is long and we have a long way to go in this campaign.
Maresca seems like a very smart man, and it really is a great time to keep that pressure off this team with confidence booming and performances getting better and better. I think it’s a refreshing approach and the right thing to say in this moment.
