23 minutes ago, JM7 said:

As I said yesterday in the match chat, most of us have a strange relationship with Maresca and prob most wanted him gone.

Yet, he has delivered 3 big objectives this season (conference to a lesser degree but it would have been embarrassing if we didn’t win it).

Is it time to start getting behind Maresca?

I don't want him gone, I just want him to be more flexible and less stubborn. Yesterday was a great showing of that, I hope we see it more often.

34 minutes ago, JM7 said:

As I said yesterday in the match chat, most of us have a strange relationship with Maresca and prob most wanted him gone.

Yet, he has delivered 3 big objectives this season (conference to a lesser degree but it would have been embarrassing if we didn’t win it).

Is it time to start getting behind Maresca?

Yes. Imo after PSG he deserves the benefit of the doubt. He may not always make the right choices but when he finds that sweet balance, my word is the football enjoyable.

You've got strikers doing flicks, busting their gut to be the dummy, you've got players doing cruyff turns etc. I saw the vision of the team he can build and it looks good!

1 hour ago, Shweaves said:

Completely agree, it will be totally different against over half of our PL opposition.

That being said it's so great to see Chelsea going up against Elite opposition and dominating. It feels like a long time since we've seen that, which is great progress. Four years since we won a trophy, started being called chokers and now we've won 2 in a matter of weeks!

We need to win a final at Wembley again. The past few years have made me very cross.

Everyone realise World Cup is next summer and if the boys who are going to the World Cup don’t get a rest now they won’t next summer either.

Cole, Caicedo, Enzo, Cucu , James etc will be playing football two years straight without a break.

2 hours ago, Shweaves said:

My point stands, the post was almost bitter that we won last night.

Much more fun celebrating being champions of the world!!

Why would i be bitter about winning a trophy? I'm bitter he didn't do this 4 months ago, sure.

4 hours ago, El regreso said:

Everyone realise World Cup is next summer and if the boys who are going to the World Cup don’t get a rest now they won’t next summer either.

Cole, Caicedo, Enzo, Cucu , James etc will be playing football two years straight without a break.

They reportedly have 3 weeks off from now until they join preseason so they'll be fine.

I'm worried about the start of the season.

21 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

They reportedly have 3 weeks off from now until they join preseason so they'll be fine.

I'm worried about the start of the season.

The start is going to be rough but we should have enough quality to get through it.

6 minutes ago, El regreso said:

The start is going to be rough but we should have enough quality to get through it.

Depends on how sharp are players are. Caicedo and Palmer will 100% start I reckon.

32 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

They reportedly have 3 weeks off from now until they join preseason so they'll be fine.

I'm worried about the start of the season.

I've a feeling well start well, we're on a high from 2 trophy wins and still relatively match fit, compared to others.

I think we will likely hit the wall 6 or 7 weeks in, Maresca needs to manage the squad well.

5 minutes ago, dkw said:

I've a feeling well start well, we're on a high from 2 trophy wins and still relatively match fit, compared to others.

I think we will likely hit the wall 6 or 7 weeks in, Maresca needs to manage the squad well.

I was thinking more around late November/ December. Good squad rotation is imperative.

I have to say he got everything spot on last night. The match was won in the first 15 mins, Paris didn’t know what had hit them, they’d have expected to dominate. On that score this win has felt more special, at no time did it feel like we were going to get beat.

16 minutes ago, dkw said:

I've a feeling well start well, we're on a high from 2 trophy wins and still relatively match fit, compared to others.

I think we will likely hit the wall 6 or 7 weeks in, Maresca needs to manage the squad well.

Yep. That's when the lack of a break and a proper pre-season will likely hit.

6 minutes ago, dermott said:

Yep. That's when the lack of a break and a proper pre-season will likely hit.

3 weeks not enough?

24 minutes ago, dkw said:

I've a feeling well start well, we're on a high from 2 trophy wins and still relatively match fit, compared to others.

I think we will likely hit the wall 6 or 7 weeks in, Maresca needs to manage the squad well.

I mean 3 weeks is typically the norm for summer holiday. I think they’ll be back fine I’m just worried there isn’t enough time between for them to be match sharp for Palace.

Just now, Sconnie Blue said:

3 weeks not enough?

I fear the lack of a break + the curtailed pre-season will be the problem. Other clubs have had their break and now entering pre-season.

..

Edited July 14, 20251 yr by mojo

I'm still not convinced that he has the balls or the mindset to play fast-paced, attacking football. But have to give him the benefit of the doubt going into the new season. He has earned more time with yesterday's result. But..... no more cringeworthy post match excuses, no more talking us down when the team are flying, no more Jackson up front, and we have to start to turn over Liverpool, Arsenal and Citeh.

2 minutes ago, just said:

I'm still not convinced that he has the balls or the mindset to play fast-paced, attacking football. But have to give him the benefit of the doubt going into the new season. He has earned more time with yesterday's result. But..... no more cringeworthy post match excuses, no more talking us down when the team are flying, no more Jackson up front, and we have to start to turn over Liverpool, Arsenal and Citeh.

I actually think, maybe overly optimistically, that the attacking side will be less of an issue next season. We now have centre forward options that i feel the likes of Palmer have more confidence in and that, combined with Palmer surely playing on the right should make us more threatening going forwards.

What I'm more sceptical about is whether he has the tactical capacity to shut teams down and prevent them putting us under pressure. That capacity to grind out results. Too many times when teams get up a head of steam we hsve been rabbits in the headlights and its felt like just a matter of time before we capitulate.

15 hours ago, JM7 said:

As I said yesterday in the match chat, most of us have a strange relationship with Maresca and prob most wanted him gone.

Yet, he has delivered 3 big objectives this season (conference to a lesser degree but it would have been embarrassing if we didn’t win it).

Is it time to start getting behind Maresca?

He deserves credit for finishing top 4 and winning two trophies. He's definitely earned a second season.

In saying that, the jury is still out for me. I want to see how we start next season.

15 hours ago, Valerie said:

We need to win a final at Wembley again. The past few years have made me very cross.

We're overdue. Haven't won a domestic trophy since 2018.

Hands up from me, I’ve hated ‘his football idea from day one. But on the odd occasion when we stopped playing sideways, backward boring football especially recently, it is obvious to everyone this side can be formidable, exciting and can win. If this style carries on I’ll be a lot happier with him. You can see how the players enjoy this less restrictive style and seems to be bonding the team.

I really want to be balanced and be like "he (Maresca) did this right and this wrong"

but right now......i'm happy with what he's doing

his selection and tactics against PSG were absolutely bang on and proved me wrong (such as when I wanted to see the less mobile Reece James at RB over Gusto who was immense and a difference maker)

Edited July 15, 20251 yr by Qaz

13 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

3 weeks not enough?

Not for a break and then a proper pre-season, we are going into this new season without a lack of conditioning, theres no cool down or pre-season programme to work too. I`ll be astounded if this doesn't impact on our season some how, the only chance we have is to use the first 2 months as a pre-season, and accept the results may be all over the place.

With a bit of retrospect, judging only the final 1/3rd of the season he got it ‘tactically wrong’ twice.

Newcastle & the Conference League Final.

Newcastle he didn’t correct and we were embarrassed, probably one of the worst performances of the season not helped by the brainless getting a red.

Conference League Final he adjusted accordingly and we strolled it.

The 2 biggest games in Forest away & the CWC Final were tactically perfect, how he’d set us up cannot be knocked.

So I suppose, yes at times we were eye wateringly boring, so much so I even skipped some games this season for the first time in 2 decades. But we’ve come away with CL football & 2 trophies.

Hopes for next season are we get some results against our direct rivals and open up a bit against the bottom dwellers, we cannot be dropping points against the Ipswich’s of the world again.