While the rest of the fanfare from the Premier League expected the new Italian manager Enzo Maresca to fumble at Stamford Bridge, just like his predecessors did under the new ownership, he’s refused to come to terms with this notion.
Instead, he’s adopted to the system, inheriting a multi-million dollar squad. He did extremely well at the start of the season to win back the faith of all those with Chelsea tickets.
The straightforward attitude, while prioritizing the concept of football being a team sport, has helped Chelsea regain momentum and regain their place at the top.
This was an unexpected twist for the fans who are regular at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea tickets from the secondary ticket marketplace. The fans had to stomach the pain of mediocrity for two seasons and three managers, with only Cole Palmer bringing in some hope last season.
But the new gaffer’s attitude and adaptability have won the fans over.
Last season, Chelsea made two major signings, paying a record sum for two key assets: Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. The question came back to Maresca on their importance in the side and how much of an impact they would make on the team.
But Maresca’s statement has gotten mass appeal from loyal fans who hunt for options in the secondary ticket marketplace, as he is standing his ground on his decisions.
Marseca – Price Tags Won’t Determine Playing XIs
Chelsea broke the British transfer record last season when they signed the 2022 World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez. Despite the massive price tag, he failed to excel in the Chelsea shirt when it mattered, and fans with Chelsea tickets became impatient.
Most clubs struggle when they have a high-value player who comes in with an inflated price tag. Manchester United had its fair share of worries when it signed Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku at exorbitant prices, and it has not worked for the club.
It might be too early to categorize Enzo as being on the same level as Pogba and Lukaku, but many fans who come from the secondary ticket marketplace tend to think so.
Brought to Chelsea for over £100m a month after winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, the pressure was immediately on Fernandez to thrive in Chelsea blue. However, in 74 appearances, he has not been able to string together notable performances, and more often than not appears to hinder more than help.
After a good start under Graham Potter, Fernandez’s form turned for the worse under Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino last season. Capable of individual moments of brilliance and defense-splitting passes, he has been unable to consistently perform at the highest level, leading some to question whether his price tag was justified.
Asked about Fernandez’s form in context with his price tag, Maresca responded: “If you remember, questions were asked about Moi (Moises Caicedo) and the price the club paid for him. That is not an Enzo problem or a Moi problem. Just because the club spent £100m, people expect them to be the best player. It is not about how much you paid.
“At the end of the day, they are human beings, and if you pay £100m, that is not my problem. If you want to buy me, you must pay money. That does not mean that in every game, you have to be the best. At the end of the day, they are football players, and they cannot always be at the top level.”
From a manager’s point of view, Maresca wants to ensure level playing for their players, and with Fernandez, he seems comfortable giving him some more time to adjust. A similar case can be argued with Jack Grealish, City’s star signing, who made a turnaround in the season that City won the Champions League.
For many fans wtih Chelsea tickets from the secondary ticket marketplace, it will be a game of patience.
Maresca Backs Cole Palmer
Enzo Maresca hopes Cole Palmer will accept that Chelsea’s opponents will continue to focus on him due to his quality. He has told the England international what to do to overcome being man-marked.
The 22-year-old has already made a blistering start to the 2024-25 season, scoring seven goals and contributing five assists in Chelsea’s first nine Premier League matches.
Palmer has become a pivotal player for Chelsea, and naturally, their opponents have started to focus on the attacker during matches to keep him quiet and take him out of the game.
In recent weeks, Maresca has told Palmer to reduce his frustration as much as possible to ensure his output remains at the top level. Chelsea needs a star player in the quest for Champions League qualification.
“I am ready for that, but Cole, I don’t know if he’s ready!” responded Maresca when asked if he will have a player following him for the whole match, similar to how Ander Herrera marked Eden Hazard out of the game during a meeting between the two sides in 2017.
‘The next step for Cole is not to get frustrated when teams mark him man to man because all of the best players in the world are marked man to man.
‘Probably it was the opposite (last season). They weren’t too worried about marking Cole. They are now worried because of last year, so now he has to get used to it. The next step is going to be more difficult, but he can do it.’
Maresca is tweaking his plan game by game to keep his opponents guessing what they will do. This was seen against Newcastle last week as Maresca explained: “The only thing we can do is what we did against Newcastle. The reason he was playing on the other side was because Joelinton would have been marking him man-to-man.
“We tried to move him and give him some different options and space. But he’s going to be marked man to man in so many games.”
Options for Stamford Bridge home games are now available in the secondary ticket marketplace.
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