Enzo Maresca forgot Chelsea's golden rule: the manager does not call the shots | Jacob Steinberg

Chelsea's decision to sack Enzo Maresca in the early hours of New Year's Day is not surprising, given the Italian manager's increasingly erratic behavior and refusal to accept responsibility for the team's underwhelming form. What was remarkable was how long it took the club to lose patience with their beleaguered head coach, who had been struggling to assert his authority since taking over from Mauricio Pochettino in the summer of 2024.

Maresca's handling of the media has been a particular point of contention, as he repeatedly cited "many people" not being supportive before the Everton game and questioned whether Andrey Santos was ready to start. His reluctance to adapt his tactics in response to criticism from pundits and supporters alike suggested that he had become isolated within the club.

Chelsea's patience with Maresca has been eroded by a series of concerning performances, including defeats to Leeds and Atalanta, where he opted to rest key players rather than rotate them out for fresh legs. The team's inconsistency has raised questions about whether Maresca is equipped to handle the demands of Premier League football.

Maresca's willingness to explore other opportunities beyond Chelsea has also raised eyebrows. He was recently touted as a potential replacement for Pep Guardiola at City, which must have infuriated Boehly and Eghbali. The timing of his sacking could not be more opportune, given that Chelsea face City on Sunday without their manager.

In the aftermath of Maresca's departure, there will likely be calls to explore new talent to replace him. The club's recruitment team has been praised for their work in identifying young players, and it remains to be seen whether they can replicate this success with a fresh manager at the helm.

For Chelsea fans, the news may bring some relief that Maresca is no longer in charge. However, it also raises concerns about what will happen next in terms of managing player loads and rotation policies. The team's inconsistency has been a recurring theme throughout the season, and it remains to be seen whether a new manager can get things right.

Maresca may have had his chance at Chelsea, but for now, he is left with nothing but regret. His departure marks an end to a tumultuous 18 months in charge that will be remembered by many as one of the most eventful and frustrating periods in the club's recent history.
 
๐Ÿ˜ I think its pretty clear why Maresca got the boot at Chelsea, his performances were super disappointing & he was just really bad at handling pressure ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ. The fact that they kept him on for so long must've been a bit of a joke. I mean, 3 losses in a row to Leeds and Atalanta? That's not a good look ๐Ÿ‘€. And yeah, Boehly & Eghbali are gonna be super happy about this one ๐Ÿ’ผ. The team's inconsistency has been a major problem all season & it looks like they're finally making a change ๐Ÿ”„. Fingers crossed the new manager can sort out their tactics and get them playing some decent football โšฝ๏ธ.
 
can't say I'm surprised about Maresca getting the boot. i mean, his comments after the Everton game were pretty dodgy ๐Ÿค”. it's like he thought he was above some criticism or something? the thing that worries me is what happens next for Chelsea's rotation policy. if they can't get that sorted out, we might see more injuries and less consistency on the pitch. Boehly's gonna have to find a new manager who can handle the pressure and make some tough decisions ๐Ÿคž
 
I mean come on... Chelsea's gonna bring in some new coach and suddenly they're gonna be like 'oh no, we can't afford to lose to City'? Get real, it's Pep vs Chelsea every time! ๐Ÿ˜‚ The Blues need a manager who can outsmart not just Guardiola but the rest of the Premier League too. Can't have Maresca coming in and being all defensive, that's just gonna lead to more losses like the one against Leeds.

And what about player loads? Rotation policies? That's some fancy football talk for 'we're gonna lose games because we can't decide who should play'. I'm not buying it. Chelsea needs a manager who knows how to make tough decisions and isn't afraid to take risks. Otherwise, they'll be stuck in mediocrity forever ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ
 
Ugh ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ, I'm not surprised they finally let him go... I mean, who would want to put up with all that drama? ๐Ÿ˜’ Maresca was never gonna be able to turn it around at Chelsea and now he's off to City, probably just another pawn in Pep's game. ๐Ÿค The thing is, Boehly and Eghbali will just try to sweep it under the rug and move on... meanwhile, the fans are left with even more questions about what went wrong under Maresca. ๐Ÿค”
 
๐Ÿค” I'm not surprised about Maresca getting sacked, tbh. He just seemed out of touch with reality. ๐Ÿ˜‚ All this "many people" nonsense got old fast. And seriously, resting key players instead of rotating them was a major red flag. Chelsea fans might breathe a sigh of relief now, but I worry about what'll happen next with rotation and player management. Will they go all-in on a new manager's style? ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ
 
OMG u guyz i cant even bleeve it ๐Ÿคฏ chelsea just sacked enzo maresca wtf is goin on?? i mean i knew he was strugglin but thought they cud stick wit him 4 a lil while longer lol now they gotta find another manager ASAP cuz they cant afford 2 lose another game with out sum1 in charge ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ‘€

i think the real question is wht happened 2 maresca?? did Boehly & eghbali really wanna dump him already?? i mean i get it, he wasn't doin too well but u cudnt just 4get about him after 18 months or so lol

anywayz i hope they find sum1 who can sort out the team cuz this inconsistency is drivin me crazy ๐Ÿ˜ฉ๐Ÿ‘Ž
 
I'm not surprised about Maresca being sacked ๐Ÿ™„, I mean, it was only a matter of time before the club realized he wasn't cut out for this level ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ. He just didn't seem to know how to handle the pressure and criticism ๐Ÿ“ฐ. And that media thing? Yeah, I'm surprised he lasted as long as he did ๐Ÿ˜’. The fact that they kept him on is a pretty big red flag in itself ๐Ÿ”ด.

I mean, think about it, Maresca's tactics were basically the same old stuff every single game, no real adaptability ๐Ÿ™ƒ. And don't even get me started on his comments after the Everton game ๐Ÿ˜‚. "Many people" not supporting him? Give me a break ๐Ÿ™„. He was just making excuses and trying to deflect blame ๐Ÿ”ฎ.

And now that he's gone, I'm sure there'll be a whole lot of "explore new talent" ๐ŸŽ‰ talk from the club. But let's be real, it's probably going to end up being some flashy signing that ends up being a flop ๐Ÿ’”. We'll just have to wait and see how this one plays out ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ.
 
OMG ๐Ÿคฏ I told u guys this was gonna happen... Maresca's been on thin ice for ages, his media skills are WORSE than a 10-year-old trying to film a YouTube video ๐Ÿ˜‚. He just didn't seem to get it, and now Chelsea's relieved to be rid of him. But let's not forget, he was being touted as Pep Guardiola's replacement at City ๐Ÿค”... like who does that?! The Boehly/Eghbali combo must've been livid when they found out about his aspirations ๐Ÿค‘. Now the question is, who's gonna take over and get Chelsea's squad back on track? I'm keeping my eye on the recruitment team, they seem legit ๐Ÿ‘€. This whole situation just reeks of politics ๐Ÿคซ... just saying ๐Ÿ˜
 
I mean, its not like I was keeping up with all that drama ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ... but from what I can gather, Maresca's gotta-go feels pretty justified. I've been following this saga on and off (lol what even is that), and yeah, his handling of the media was always a bit dodgy, you know? Not exactly what you want from a manager who's supposed to be leading by example ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ

As for Chelsea, they gotta get their recruitment game back on track ASAP. All this turnover with managers is just gonna take a toll on the squad. And can we talk about how convenient it is that Maresca gets sacked right before City game? That's some slick Boehly/Eghbali PR right there ๐Ÿค‘
 
I feel like Chelsea is being super harsh on Maresca ๐Ÿค”. I mean, I get it, the team hasn't been doing great under him, but 18 months is a pretty short time to turn things around, you know? ๐Ÿ™„ And yeah, his handling of the media wasn't exactly perfect, but come on, he's human too ๐Ÿ˜…. Can't blame him for trying to make some changes and adapt his tactics. The thing is, now that he's gone, there's gonna be a lot of pressure on the new manager to deliver ASAP โฑ๏ธ. It's a big job, especially with City coming up next... Fingers crossed they can get it right ๐Ÿ˜…
 
I'm loving this new year already! ๐ŸŽ‰ But seriously, Enzo Maresca's sacking is no surprise, considering his struggles to adapt and take responsibility for the team's performance. I mean, who wants a manager that's all about finger-pointing and not taking ownership of their mistakes? ๐Ÿค” Chelsea needs someone who can bring consistency and stability, and right now, they're stuck with a toxic situation.

On a related note, have you guys tried out this new virtual reality platform that just launched? ๐Ÿ“ฑ It's crazy how immersive it is! You feel like you're actually there in the stadium, surrounded by the action. I used it to relive some of Chelsea's best (and worst) moments, and it was hilarious ๐Ÿ˜‚. Anyway, back to Maresca... I'm curious to see who they'll appoint next and if they can turn things around for the team. Maybe someone like Erik ten Hag? ๐Ÿคž
 
I'm actually kinda shocked they waited this long to axe Maresca, I mean, he was already starting to sound like a broken record with all that "many people" nonsense ๐Ÿ™„. It's like, you gotta take responsibility for your team's performance and adapt, ya know? Instead, it seemed like he was just stuck in the past. And now, they're gonna have to figure out how to manage those player loads and rotation policies without him...that's a tall order. I'm curious to see what happens next, though. Maybe they can find someone who actually knows what they're doing ๐Ÿ˜‚.
 
omg i feel like chelsea fans are going through so much right now ๐Ÿ˜ฉ๐Ÿ’” it's not easy dealing with all these changes and whatnot... but on the bright side, maybe this is the wake-up call they needed to get things turned around? ๐ŸŒŸ and can we pls talk about how good their recruitment team is doing?! ๐Ÿคฉ i mean, someone like that manager would've been perfect for city last season lol
 
omg i'm not surprised about maresca's sacking lol the dude was clueless and couldn't handle the pressure ๐Ÿ™„ i mean who tries to play 3 strikers at once? ๐Ÿคฃ anyway, chelsea needs to get their recruitment game right or they'll be stuck in midtable for ages โฐ i'm not sure what's next for them but hopefully they can find someone with some common sense ๐Ÿ’ก maybe someone like jรผrgen klopp would be a good fit idk tho ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ
 
Chelsea finally lost it ๐Ÿ’ฅ Maresca was already running on fumes after a disastrous start, but Boehly and Eghbali kept him around way too long. His handling of the media was super dodgy and it's no wonder he started to isolate himself from the team ๐Ÿค”. The sacking is a huge relief for fans who were getting fed up with the inconsistent performances ๐Ÿ‘Œ But now they'll just have to hope that the recruitment team can find someone who actually knows what they're doing ๐Ÿ˜… And honestly, Maresca's gone from being an underwhelming manager to a joke ๐Ÿคฃ at least Chelsea doesn't have to deal with him anymore ๐Ÿ‘
 
omg, i'm not surprised at all about Maresca getting sacked ๐Ÿคฏ he was so erratic and refused to accept responsibility for his team's bad form ๐Ÿ˜’ and let's be real, his media handling was super suspect ๐Ÿ“ฐ it's a good thing chelsea lost patience with him before things got out of hand ๐Ÿ’ช the timing of his sacking is also super convenient, especially considering the upcoming match against city โšฝ๏ธ i do hope the new manager can bring some stability to the team and figure out how to manage player loads and rotation policies ๐Ÿคž it's gonna be an interesting season ahead ๐Ÿ‘€
 
I gotta say, I'm not surprised they sacked Maresca. He seemed like he was losing control and couldn't take constructive criticism ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ. His tactics were all over the place and it was clear he was struggling to connect with the team. The fact that he's still denying being held back by "many people" is just ridiculous ๐Ÿ˜‚. Chelsea's gotta think about what's best for the team, not their ego manager ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธ. Now we get to see if they can find someone who can actually manage the squad effectively and make some smart decisions on the pitch ๐Ÿ†
 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around Maresca getting sacked so early into the year ๐Ÿคฏ. I mean, it's not like he had a great track record or anything, but come on! 18 months is a decent chunk of time to try and turn things around ๐Ÿ•ฐ๏ธ. And what really gets me is that he was only there for a hot second before being linked with a top job at City ๐Ÿ†. Like, seriously? Didn't think that one through, Enzo ๐Ÿ˜‚.

As for Chelsea, I'm not too sure what the future holds. Their recruitment team has been on fire, but can they replicate that success without Maresca's... um... "leadership" ๐Ÿ˜’? And with City coming up, it's like the universe is just waiting to see how well this new bloke does ๐Ÿ‘€.

But honestly, I'm just glad to see some movement at Stamford Bridge. It's been a while since we've seen any real change, so maybe this is the wake-up call they needed ๐ŸŽ‰. Fingers crossed for next season!
 
I'm not surprised Chelsea finally lost patience with Maresca lol ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ His handling of the media was always gonna catch up with him. I mean, who uses "many people" as an excuse? ๐Ÿ™„ It's clear he wasn't adapting to criticism and just became isolated within the club. And now, Chelsea gets a chance to find someone who can actually manage the team's load without resting key players all the time ๐Ÿคฏ It's gonna be interesting to see how they fill that role. Maybe they can find someone like Jurgen Klopp or Thomas Tuchel who know how to handle the pressure and make the right decisions on rotation and player loads. Fingers crossed for Chelsea fans ๐Ÿ˜…
 
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