Chelsea supporters are becoming increasingly disillusioned with head coach Enzo Maresca, and many believe he is largely responsible for the team’s recent struggles.
A string of underwhelming performances has led to growing frustration, especially in light of Chelsea’s recent 2-1 loss at home to Legia Warsaw in the UEFA Conference League.
While the Blues had convincingly beaten the same opposition 3-0 in the away leg and secured progression to the semi-finals, their overall display on Thursday night failed to live up to expectations — particularly for a club with Chelsea’s pedigree.
Domestically, the Premier League campaign has not been much more encouraging.
A 2-2 draw with newly-promoted Ipswich Town, followed by a lacklustre 0-0 draw against Brentford, has dealt a blow to Chelsea’s ambitions of securing Champions League qualification.
For many fans, this objective was seen as the bare minimum requirement for the season, and the current inconsistency has cast serious doubts on whether the team is heading in the right direction under Maresca’s leadership.
The Italian manager’s tactical decisions have come under intense scrutiny, with one of the most controversial choices being his decision to deploy Reece James in central midfield.
Widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League, James’s position switch was met with confusion and criticism from supporters and pundits alike.
Making the situation even more perplexing, Maresca also used Malo Gusto — another natural right-back — in a midfield role during the same match.
The unorthodox move of fielding two defenders in central midfield has left many fans questioning the rationale behind such experimentation, which they see as unnecessary and detrimental to team performance.
Further eyebrows were raised when, in the Ipswich game, Maresca opted to start Trevoh Chalobah at right-back despite having James, Gusto, and promising youngster Josh Acheampong available for selection.
These choices have led many to question Maresca’s judgment, with some even accusing him of sabotaging his own efforts through questionable team selections.
Although Maresca is said to still have the backing of Chelsea’s co-owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, patience may start to wear thin if results don’t improve.
With the summer transfer window on the horizon and the manager reportedly keen on bringing in Liam Delap, a section of the fanbase is already speculating whether Maresca will still be at the helm when the next chapter of player recruitment begins.
