Maresca has brought far more value to Chelsea's new ownership group, Clear Lake Capital, than any previous manager. He successfully helped the management shake off the most damaging criticism: “the money-spending model cannot win championships.”
In his debut season in charge of the Blues, he not only guided the team back to the Champions League but also achieved the highest league finish (4th place) in the nearly three years since Clear Lake Capital acquired the club. Subsequently, he successively claimed the trophies of the Europa Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup—especially the comeback victory in the Club World Cup, which underscored the true weight of that achievement.
However, when the team lost to Brighton again in the league last week, Maresca on the sidelines was visibly agitated. The earlier defeat to Manchester United had already seen him display rare emotional outbursts: throughout the afternoon, he kept shouting out instructions, applauded every pressing run by Neto, and even insisted on directing goalkeeper Sanchez to participate in the team's backline build-up play when Chelsea were down to 10 men. When Brighton had possession but Chelsea maintained a solid defensive shape, he specifically shouted "bravo" to show his approval.
Once seen as a "compliant" coach, Maresca is no longer willing to compromise after tasting victory. According to sources familiar with the matter, Maresca is deeply dissatisfied with the club's refusal to sign an experienced replacement for Colwill. The management seems to be complacent about their ability to cope with the "Thursday-Sunday" double-header schedule last year, yet they have overlooked the vast difference between the Champions League and the Europa Conference League—the former requires top-tier squad depth, while the latter can be handled with a Championship-level squad in the group stage.
Although the club clearly required him to "live within his means" prior to his appointment, when he had to field Hato and Acquah instead of Colwill and Fofana, a definite downgrade in the Blues' defensive line-up became inevitable. Insiders point out that Maresca firmly believes the current squad is incapable of competing on two fronts, and the team will likely be forced to choose between domestic competitions and European campaigns.
Brazilian forward Pedro's impressive performance in the Club World Cup made the club consider selling Jackson, but Pedro's pressing efficiency has yet to meet the required standards. Moreover, the unexpected serious injury of Drapes has made matters even worse for Chelsea's forward rotation options.
With a record of just one win in their last five games, Maresca is under immense pressure. But Chelsea should be fully supporting this manager who has already proven himself—at the very least, they should provide him with the left-sided center-back he has long desired, after all, the backline build-up system is the lifeblood of his tactics.
