Enzo Maresca has claimed his Chelsea team are ‘not good enough’ to play a transitional style of football.
The Blues are in their first campaign under the former Leicester boss, currently chasing a Champions League spot in the top flight and a Europa Conference League trophy.
They are fifth in the table going into Sunday’s games, needing to hang onto that place to ensure a spot at Europe’s top table next term.
But it was a season that promised much more, with the Blues initially keeping pace with Liverpool and Arsenal at the top of the table before they fell away.
This season has been tougher for the team in terms of form, with them now clinging onto fifth place amid competition from the likes of Newcastle and Aston Villa and criticism of the way Maresca approaches games.
And now, in an interview with Sky Sports, he has explained his reasoning for said play style – and it’s not good reading for his players.
Enzo Maresca has claimed his Chelsea side ‘are not good enough’ to play a different style of football
The Blues have received criticism recently for their passing approach amid a poor run of form
Maresca said his side’s ‘worst moments’ have been when they have been drawn into ‘transition games’ by their opponents
‘When you attack quick, the opposition can also attack quick,’ he said. ‘It becomes a transition game.
‘We are not good enough for transition games. If you see our worst moments over the season or games where we struggle, they are all games where it became a transition, and it’s not good.’
Earlier this year, a video surfaced of sections of Chelsea fans jeering the team when they were playing out from the back, urging the side to get the ball forward quicker in possession.
Maresca, who enjoyed success with Leicester playing the same way, winning the Championship last season, had also previously said he would drop his goalkeeper if he ever took a long goal kick.
The Italian also confirmed that his side would give Liverpool a guard of honour ahead of their clash at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.
‘For sure, if you want to close the gap with these kind of clubs then, for sure, you have to do things,’ Maresca said, speaking after Thursday’s Conference League semi-final first-leg win over Djurgarden in Stockholm, Sweden. ‘Our team next season will be better also in terms of experience, because this season has been one more year together.
‘There are ones who are growing, like Levi, for instance. He is growing a lot in terms of leadership. For sure, next sure he will be better and better.’
