Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is probably more akin to Thomas Tuchel than Graham Potter or Mauricio Pochettino. Maresca certainly does not seem very similar to Blues legend Frank Lampard either. The former Leicester City gaffer may actually be referred to as a taskmaster by some, which is why I mentioned the German ex-CFC manager.
Furthermore, I would go so far as to say that this type of football brutalist mentality, alongside flair and competence, is exactly what the west London club require. Of course, the two head coaches also generally have another thing in common: good relationships and respect from the squad at large.
Enzo Maresca won’t put up with any drama or prima donnas at Chelsea – he’s just not that kind of boss
Over the years we’ve heard just how intelligent Lampard is away from the game, which was no surprise. The retired Blues icon was dedicated at practice himself whilst a professional too. He is also an advocate of sports science.
This means Lampard’s own sessions wouldn’t have been too brutal once retired and managing. And a comparable impression can be drawn of Graham Potter’s methods. The ex-Brighton & Hove Albion and CFC head coach was another intellectual and student of the game.
I think we had to wait until Mauricio Pochettino came along Fulham Road before the millionaire Chels’ players were truly put through their paces at training. This is when a Tuchel-esque style arguably attempted a renaissance at Stamford Bridge. And, yes, the contemporary Chelsea roster definitely needs a Brian Clough-type. If you get what I mean.
Basically, there are some young and experienced pros at Cobham training ground who have a tendency to stand out for the wrong reasons. It is an educated guess (but conjecture all the same), yet I suspect Raheem Sterling and Maresca would have clashed going forward. If they hadn’t already.
Meanwhile some younger footballers such as Mykhailo Mudryk appear not to have fully grasped what is expected of them. The Ukrainian has had a couple of immature moments while in England. I can’t see this approach meshing with the fastidious and meticulous Italian very well.
I write about Leicester as well, and I can assure you that Maresca is very serious about his work. If you don’t train satisfactorily or conduct yourself in the correct manner, you won’t play. Or, at least, those deemed undesirables will not be in the starting lineup. I imagine we shall see an increasingly organised and deadly Chelsea as the weeks go on under the 44-year-old.
