1 hour ago, JM7 said:

There’s lots of criticisms but having calmed down from the weekend, I think we have to annoyingly cut Maresca some slack.

He has got stuff wrong, no doubt. He’s frustrating. However He’s got some big long term injuries to deal with. Plus tiredness from last season is to be expected.

Not at all.

He had Santos, Guiu, Bounanoutte, and Garnacho on the bench and he got everything horrifically wrong because he panicked.

We’ve seen Maresca’s ceiling as a manager. Won’t ever be good enough.

9 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Not at all.

He had Santos, Guiu, Bounanoutte, and Garnacho on the bench and he got everything horrifically wrong because he panicked.

We’ve seen Maresca’s ceiling as a manager. Won’t ever be good enough.

From that horrific list above, there is one establish albeit still fairly young player: Garnacho(21). The others are glorified unknown kids at this level.

31 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

Don't think there is any real argument about pre-season, the club knew how it was going to be and had a plan to respond to the situation accordingly as it didn't come out of the blue that the team will play the Club world cup, the team played a bunch of Brazilian clubs till the final.

PSG played Bayern and Real Madrid, they are not talking about the lack of pre-season... PSG has 5 wins 1 loss, same pre-season as Maresca but Maresca has 2 wins.

If Maresca doesn't win any match out of the next 3 in the league (Brighton, Liverpool, N. Forest) I doubt you could make him look better than Tuchel at the time when Tuchel was sacked.

Well PSG are in a league where they have a by far better team than anyone else so it's a little different, but PSG have had injuries similar to ours where they've had Barcola, Dembele and Doue all get muscle injuries which which you could attribute to the extended season. PSG were also a very set team and overall the best team in the world last season.

I am completely with you on the next few games though, I'm already firmly in the Maresca out camp as I was in most of the second half of last season, I can't see the club or its players reaching their full potential with him steering the ship.

8 minutes ago, acaeus said:

From that horrific list above, there is one establish albeit still fairly young player: Garnacho(21). The others are glorified unknown kids at this level.

I'd say you can only really say glorified unknown kid about Guiu really, Santos is a Brazilian international and Buonanotte has been in the prem for 3 years with 71 games played. Maresca got it horrifically wrong against United and I don't think anybody can argue any different.

25 minutes ago, timetowaste said:

I'd say you can only really say glorified unknown kid about Guiu really, Santos is a Brazilian international and Buonanotte has been in the prem for 3 years with 71 games played. Maresca got it horrifically wrong against United and I don't think anybody can argue any different.

Andrey Santos is 21 and got his first callup a couple of months ago. I'm originally from Brazil btw, so I've known of Santos way before he was signed. Brazil usually calls up young fringe players to give them a chance to get to know the environment and all that, esp for nonsense games. I do hope he improves and becomes a great player for us and Brazil one day, but it's not his time just yet.

Buonanotte is 20yo and Marc Guiu is 19. Even Garnacho is still 21.

When was the last time you saw young players like that, all at once, deliver in the Premier League? What do people actually expect from 20-year-olds in this league? Is the Premier League the toughest league in the world, or is it a place where 20-year-olds are supposed to compete and thrive — which one is it?

I personally expect nothing from these players when they come on the pitch--perhaps Garnacho will deliver more consistently. They will get bullied by bigger, older, and/or more experienced players in this league.

Edited September 22, 2025Sep 22 by acaeus

49 minutes ago, acaeus said:

Andrey Santos is 21 and got his first callup a couple of months ago. I'm originally from Brazil btw, so I've known of Santos way before he was signed. Brazil usually calls up young fringe players to give them a chance to get to know the environment and all that, esp for nonsense games. I do hope he improves and becomes a great player for us and Brazil one day, but it's not his time just yet.

Buonanotte is 20yo and Marc Guiu is 19. Even Garnacho is still 21.

When was the last time you saw young players like that, all at once, deliver in the Premier League? What do people actually expect from 20-year-olds in this league? Is the Premier League the toughest league in the world, or is it a place where 20-year-olds are supposed to compete and thrive — which one is it?

I personally expect nothing from these players when they come on the pitch--perhaps Garnacho will deliver more consistently. They will get bullied by bigger, older, and/or more experienced players in this league.

Are you Maresca's Mum ?

45 minutes ago, acaeus said:

Andrey Santos is 21 and got his first callup a couple of months ago. I'm originally from Brazil btw, so I've known of Santos way before he was signed. Brazil usually calls up young fringe players to give them a chance to get to know the environment and all that, esp for nonsense games. I do hope he improves and becomes a great player for us and Brazil one day, but it's not his time just yet.

Buonanotte is 20yo and Marc Guiu is 19. Even Garnacho is still 21.

When was the last time you saw young players like that, all at once, deliver in the Premier League? What do people actually expect from 20-year-olds in this league? Is the Premier League the toughest league in the world, or is it a place where 20-year-olds are supposed to compete and thrive — which one is it?

I personally expect nothing from these players when they come on the pitch--perhaps Garnacho will deliver more consistently. They will get bullied by bigger, older, and/or more experienced players in this league.

It's a good question.

From a club perspective, I can't find a clear answer. The accepted wisdom seems to be that if we buy players at 20 they will naturally develop and be better at 25. When they're 25, we can start competing for trophies.

The obvious problem with that logic is that it assumes no other club will seek to improve during those five years, and that the player will actually develop into something objectively good at 25. Neither assumption is grounded in reality.

29 minutes ago, Bebe1980 said:

Are you Maresca's Mum ?

Not mutually exclusive... 2 thoughts at the same time, etc
Incidentally, the post you quoted does not mention Maresca at all.

Edited September 23, 2025Sep 23 by acaeus

4 hours ago, Gol15 said:

And? None of that is prime Messi, my point is that this group of players doesn't win the league that year without Conte implementing his system.

System? 😂😂😂

What happen to Conte after he lost Matic and Costa the next season.

1 hour ago, Bob stark said:

System? 😂😂😂

What happen to Conte after he lost Matic and Costa the next season.

You went from talking about a team having basically the best player of all time to, you can't win a title when you don't have Matic and Costa...

Those players were there the season prior to Conte, you know when the team finished 10th?

Brain=dead

4 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

It's a good question.

From a club perspective, I can't find a clear answer. The accepted wisdom seems to be that if we buy players at 20 they will naturally develop and be better at 25. When they're 25, we can start competing for trophies.

The obvious problem with that logic is that it assumes no other club will seek to improve during those five years, and that the player will actually develop into something objectively good at 25. Neither assumption is grounded in reality.

And that the clubs actions in obtaining this kids at the prices others pay for established players doesn't result in them having to sell them off before they reach this full potential in order to balance the books.

7 hours ago, acaeus said:

Andrey Santos is 21 and got his first callup a couple of months ago. I'm originally from Brazil btw, so I've known of Santos way before he was signed. Brazil usually calls up young fringe players to give them a chance to get to know the environment and all that, esp for nonsense games. I do hope he improves and becomes a great player for us and Brazil one day, but it's not his time just yet.

Buonanotte is 20yo and Marc Guiu is 19. Even Garnacho is still 21.

What does there age have to do with any of this, Maresca sh*t himself and completely ballsed up the game with nonsensical substitutions, we took off any attacking intent as he just didnt want to get battered, Instead of actually trying to attack a team that has shown huge fragility all season.

Santos was young player of the year in the French League last season and everyone with half a brain can see his quality. Guiu is young, but also would handle playing striker much better than the equally as young left winger he threw in there.

Garnacho is a full international no matter how old he is, he was desperate to get on the pitch.

Facts are Marescas arse fell out and he had no idea what to do as changes would mean going away from his "process". Well f**k his process, its abysmal to watch and entirely reliant on Cole Palmer conjuring something from nothing,

Maresca has done it again, babbling on about how we have closed the gap on teams above us and then says we cant win the PL this season, five games in and he has thrown in the towel, he is not good enough

Chelsea News

Enzo Maresca explains how it's "impossible" for Chelsea t...

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has explained why it's 'impossible' for Chelsea to win the Premier League this season.

22 minutes ago, Caps_Lock_King said:

Maresca has done it again, babbling on about how we have closed the gap on teams above us and then says we cant win the PL this season, five games in and he has thrown in the towel, he is not good enough

Chelsea News

Enzo Maresca explains how it's "impossible" for Chelsea t...

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has explained why it's 'impossible' for Chelsea to win the Premier League this season.

Lol... now he's going to try and blame someone else...

Hasn't even got the balls to admit HE made a complete f**k up of it on Saturday and cost us, another, 3 points.

Edited September 23, 2025Sep 23 by Bebe1980

1 hour ago, Caps_Lock_King said:

Maresca has done it again, babbling on about how we have closed the gap on teams above us and then says we cant win the PL this season, five games in and he has thrown in the towel, he is not good enough

Chelsea News

Enzo Maresca explains how it's "impossible" for Chelsea t...

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has explained why it's 'impossible' for Chelsea to win the Premier League this season.

Difference between this season and last is that we were in the title race up until December until he said we're not. Season isn't 5 games old and he's already bottled it.

Last season he had Poch's attacking intent in the side until he coached it out of them. Give me a poch type coach over this man any day of the week. He's a quitter.

It seems to us that the reason we’re often better once we go 2-0 down is that at that point, we thrown Enzo Maresca’s sideways passing out of the window and start actually moving the ball forward quickly, which always hurts the opposition more.

Trevor Chalobah

Talking after the United game.

1 hour ago, Bebe1980 said:

It seems to us that the reason we’re often better once we go 2-0 down is that at that point, we thrown Enzo Maresca’s sideways passing out of the window and start actually moving the ball forward quickly, which always hurts the opposition more.

Trevor Chalobah

Talking after the United game.

Trev didnt say that - at least, thats not the bit of the article in quotes.

The quote is:

“We can’t react when we go 2-0 down, we have to react from the moment the whistle goes. Obviously we got the goal and we were pushing and pushing, but it’s always difficult to come back when you go 2-0 down. We just need to start the game properly. That’s the key, to start the game well.”

“So we’ve just got to learn, start games on the front foot, start games the way we want to start. That’s what we have to learn from the past few games. That is not the level we want to show, but we have to learn from it. It’s a long season, we can’t dwell on this, but we have to learn from it.”

Then, the following is added by the author:

It seems to us that the reason we’re often better once we go 2-0 down is that at that point, we thrown Enzo Maresca’s sideways passing out of the window and start actually moving the ball forward quickly, which always hurts the opposition more.

4 hours ago, Bebe1980 said:

It seems to us that the reason we’re often better once we go 2-0 down is that at that point, we thrown Enzo Maresca’s sideways passing out of the window and start actually moving the ball forward quickly, which always hurts the opposition more.

Trevor Chalobah

Talking after the United game.

Sorry Trevor - not you - should say "Chelsea News" Writing after the United Game

8 hours ago, dkw said:

What does there age have to do with any of this, Maresca sh*t himself and completely ballsed up the game with nonsensical substitutions, we took off any attacking intent as he just didnt want to get battered, Instead of actually trying to attack a team that has shown huge fragility all season.

Santos was young player of the year in the French League last season and everyone with half a brain can see his quality. Guiu is young, but also would handle playing striker much better than the equally as young left winger he threw in there.

Garnacho is a full international no matter how old he is, he was desperate to get on the pitch.

Facts are Marescas arse fell out and he had no idea what to do as changes would mean going away from his "process". Well f**k his process, its abysmal to watch and entirely reliant on Cole Palmer conjuring something from nothing,

Nothing. Like I said, things are not mutually exclusive here. Maresca can be utterly incompetent and our squad can also be entirely incapable, under ANY management, to challenge for PL and CL.

Now. Age does matter at LOT in sports. I really though this was obvious... silly me. It matters when players are past their primes as well as when they are yet incapable of competing against their seniors. I remember Josh getting bullied not long ago in a PL match before he bulked up. And this is just the physical aspect, as mentality is just as important.

Santos is quality? No Santos has quality. We all hope that he will become a WC player and I agree he has the skill for that, but he's not there yet.
Caicedo and Enzo are miles better than him esp regarding consistency. That's why they are stars in their national teams while Santos is fringe player for Brazil (with the worst set of CMs in history).
Change the manager today and the starting XI will look exactly the same--ok maybe not the annoying James in CM thingy, but not much else.

I suspect the PL to be a little bit come competitive than the French league, but that's me I guess.

So, I ask again,
When was the last time you saw young players like that, all at once, deliver in the Premier League? What do people actually expect from 20-year-olds in this league? Is the Premier League the toughest league in the world, or is it a place where 20-year-olds are supposed to compete and thrive — which one is it?

I'd be happy with a single example of a young side, or at a side with a few very young players winning, or perhaps merely challenging for the PL.

This stupid boring pass pass pass pas nonsense will never work.

19 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

It's a good question.

From a club perspective, I can't find a clear answer. The accepted wisdom seems to be that if we buy players at 20 they will naturally develop and be better at 25. When they're 25, we can start competing for trophies.

The obvious problem with that logic is that it assumes no other club will seek to improve during those five years, and that the player will actually develop into something objectively good at 25. Neither assumption is grounded in reality.

It will never work because players dont all peak together. The better players that are ready to win at 21, will not wait for 4/5 years on the off chance their teammates will step up. Also as a club we sell players for famcy new signings as soon as we get bored too.

We aren't building anything with substance here.

It’s going to be a very very very very……looooooooooooooooooooooooooong ………………………… season!!

2 minutes ago, El regreso said:

It’s going to be a very very very very……looooooooooooooooooooooooooong ………………………… season!!

Like I said.

Genuinely concerned of where we will be come December.

Edited September 23, 2025Sep 23 by Sconnie Blue

Complete bum

I think I'll be saying this a lot over the season, but one of the most deflating things about watching a performance like that is knowing that no matter what, Maresca will not be sacked this season so we have to ensure this dross until at least May.