Maresca leaves confirmed

[StriderHiryu]

57 minutes ago, Matt said:

 

 Should they not look at themselves as to the reasons why he “jumped ship at the first opportunity” and “openly courted the job”?

 

As for the long term vision remaining unaffected - firstly and most importantly, get your house in order! Secondly if that means this pathetic vision of playing like Man City, I’m out.

 

The club can be upset, but Enzo bagged himself an absoultely INSANE deal. If he fails, he will still net 30m. I bet even with clauses he'll still end up with a double digit payout. You could love your current job and even be well compenstated, but at some point, the numbers are too hard to pass up. Chelsea also invested over 1 Billion in their squad and if allowed into Europe are serious contenders to win the competition they are in.

 

That said it's clear we were only ever a stepping stone. This is a real issue for the next manager becuase if we do go for someone who appears upwardly mobile like Corberan or Cuesta, who's to say they won't leave too? In this case the 10M is a lot, but jeapordises the entire season before it's even started.

[MPH]

15 minutes ago, SouthStandUpperTier said:

 

'A next step to the elite' - inside Maresca's move to Chelsea

 

 

 

It's official. Enzo Maresca is the new Chelsea manager.

 

Just weeks after guiding Leicester City back to the Premier League, the Italian has quit after one season and opted to take on what many see as a poisoned chalice.

 

The 44-year-old will become the fifth Blues boss since the start of 2022-23, and a seventh permanent boss in five years.

 

His predecessor Mauricio Pochettino lost his job - albeit by mutual consent - at the end of the season despite guiding Chelsea to sixth in the Premier League, back into European football and to a domestic cup final.

 

So, why has Maresca turned his back on the Foxes for a club who splashed an incredible £747m on transfers during the 2022-23 campaign and have lurched from crisis to crisis in the recent past?

Issues looming for the Foxes

As genuine as Maresca's joy was at taking Leicester City straight back to the top flight at the first time of asking, the euphoria created by promotion could not disguise the fact that not everything was well at the club.

 

Leicester's possible Financial Fair Play (FFP) issues were something he only became aware of after the season had started.

 

That, coupled with a highly unsatisfactory January transfer window involving two deals in particular, also created conflict at Leicester.

 

Cesare Casadei was very much part of Maresca's plans after signing on loan - coincidentally, from Chelsea - at the start of the season. Then Chelsea recalled him in the winter window.

 

Stefano Sensi, from Inter Milan, had come to the UK to help complete the deal once the two clubs had negotiated a fee for the player. Suddenly everything fell apart over concerns surrounding the club's FFP standing.

 

Maresca kept his counsel and soldiered on but to say he was unimpressed on both occasions would be an understatement.

 

But to say that disillusionment with the club is the defining reason for his swapping the blue of Leicester to that of Chelsea is wide of the mark.

Aiming for a top-four finish

The reality is that when you receive offers from two former Champions League-winning sides - Chelsea and Porto - your profile in a competitive market becomes clear. And it is clear too why Maresca has been chosen to make improvements at a potentially top club like Chelsea.

 

That is probably being a bit unfair to Pochettino, because he has left the club in a considerably better, far more stable place than he found it 12 months ago.

 

Pochettino, though, is the type of coach who has to believe he is in the right place, where he feels respected as he co-exists in an atmosphere of happiness and harmony - and he felt none of those things at Stamford Bridge.

 

Ironically, Maresca is also that kind of manager, someone who needs to feel empathy and the understanding of his paymasters.

 

Bearing that in mind, his main worry about accepting the job will be taking on board Pochettino's reasons for leaving, namely the excessive interference and influence exerted by the owners, which many believe hampers the work done by the coaches.

 

He could have called Pochettino to ask for his input.

 

But Maresca has been told the right things, sent the right messages and been reassured that at Chelsea he will be supported and surrounded by enough elite people that can work alongside him, to guarantee the club can achieve their first major aim of a top-four finish.

What will he find at Chelsea?

He will find a young team, one disappointed with the departure of Pochettino, who many felt was just starting to get it right.

 

But he shouldn't have too much of a problem selling his type of game to his new players, a style which isn't dissimilar from Pochettino's: high tempo, pressure high up the pitch, possession.

 

This time - with the greatest respect to the Leicester squad - he will be able to apply it with players better than the ones he had at King Power Stadium.

 

To do that, he will have to stamp his authority and continue the progress in the culture of the club started by Pochettino, not just within the camp but also with everyone around it as well, very much like he did at Leicester.

 

Maresca won't initially be looking for a club that wins absolutely everything but rather one that gives him stability and allows him to put his ideology into practice.

 

For the majority of Leicester fans, there will be disappointment.

 

But Maresca, despite the title-winning euphoria, always believed the main aim for this Leicester side in the coming season would be avoiding relegation.

 

The Chelsea fans will take to him and to his style of play. They will find him an interesting guy, a man of depth who might come over a little reserved at the beginning but who will soon convince the fans.

 

His wife Maria and their four children will be happy to be staying in England, although they would have preferred to remain in Leicester, where they have settled very well.

 

When offers like this come in, though, they also know that they can't really be turned down.

 

Ultimately, his decision to leave Leicester has nothing to do with the negativity he received from some of the fans in the past about the style of football.

 

Rather, it is because a club of a higher calibre has given him the chance to get close to the elite - where he belonged as a player and to where he quite rightly aspires to be as a coach.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cv22ed022j5o

 

 

 

10 minutes ago, RYM said:

Yeah there is that too. It’s normal though. I’ve done it before with press and big news and then other stuff with fans when you launch a new kit, sell a best player etc. Get the first few comments on socials to be super positive and then it puts those that are critical on the back foot a bit. 

 

 

They probably knew this was about to drop...

[Chelmofox]

6 minutes ago, ealingfox said:

 

How is the Casadei thing our fault ffs

Cos we didn't play him enough, although he didn't deserve to get picked as much as he did. So Chelsea took him back, and played him less. Class act.

[Finnegan]

1 hour ago, Tuna said:

 

 

Pretty sure that's deliberately implying tone to the statement that the club really don't intend so that this guy can be a sassy bitch on social media, to be honest.

 

Think it just reads like "we made so much progress this year, just think what we could have done if he stayed, but alas."

 

[sdb]

Salty from the club. No manager is gonna say no to Chelsea when they've just been managing in a lower division. Plus we've no money, batshit hierarchy and an impending points deduction. Hardly tempting. 

[Safestandingfox]

So glad to see the departure of Balague, sure he'll move with Enzo to continue being firmly stuck up him every chance he gets.

Edited 3 June by Safestandingfox

[MPH]

1 minute ago, Finnegan said:

 

Pretty sure that's deliberately implying tone to the statement that the club really don't intend so that this guy can be a sassy bitch on social media, to be honest.

 

Think it just reads like "we made so much progress this year, just think what we could have done if he stayed, but alas."

 

 

[An Away Move]

I’ve been a massive supporter of him and his philosophy at our club. Now he’s with an enemy of the game as far as I’m concerned. I hope it blows up in his inexperienced face. I hate the way Chelsea operate and the detrimental they’ve had on our league. 

[Izzy]

24 minutes ago, sly1 said:

Gone at xmas 

If so he’ll probably get about £20m as a pay off

 

He can’t lose really 

[Cincinnati Fox]

Will NOW start a search. With our clowns in charge I actually think this may be the case.

[South Shire Fox]

1 minute ago, Izzy said:

If so he’ll probably get about £20m as a pay off

 

He can’t lose really 

He’ll get sacked but still end up taking a job of atleast our level. He cannot lose really

[GingerrrFox]

The bald bastard will get dogs abuse when he rocks up next season. 

[Finnegan]

8 minutes ago, MPH said:

 

 

I don't really think it makes him a hypocrite 

 

I think people are absolutely trying their ****ing hardest to take this as personally as they possibly can because that's just what people do on the internet in 2024.

 

But an unbelievably good job opportunity came along at a hugely wealthy and powerful club that will change his and his family's lives. The alternative was staying here where he was already publicly dissatisfied and where we're facing massive sanctions that are 100% our own fault.

 

Fair ****s to him. If you're salty at anyone, be salty at the club. Think he'd be far more inclined to stay here if we hadn't essentially lied to his face when he joined.

 

Edited 3 June by Finnegan

[Sir Shep]

Enzo ball will probably work better at Chelsea than with us. I’m not that disappointed he’s left although I was curious as to how it may have worked out for us this coming season. Board can do one as it’s their fault. Hopefully we see a good appointment but I’m not holding my breath. 

[goose2010]

1 minute ago, Izzy said:

If so he’ll probably get about £20m as a pay off

 

He can’t lose really 

Well he can, he is obviously ambitious and thinks very highly of his self so if it goes tits up and it's seen as his fault he loses employment opportunities. 

 

Gotta remember these people are millionaires already so it isn't always about the money. It cushions the blow I'm sure but to become unemployable at such an early part of your career is a disaster. 

[ealingfox]

Worth getting Warnock Pulis or Allardyce in purely to try and shithouse the most turgid, undeserved 1-0 in our first game against them imo

[Bordersfox]

Just now, goose2010 said:

Well he can, he is obviously ambitious and thinks very highly of his self so if it goes tits up and it's seen as his fault he loses employment opportunities. 

 

Gotta remember these people are millionaires already so it isn't always about the money. It cushions the blow I'm sure but to become unemployable at such an early part of your career is a disaster. 

If it goes tits up it'll be Chelsea the basket case club strikes again and be ends up with another decent job soon after, even if it's abroad.  

 

Nothing is ever risk free but this is about as close to as you'll get in football management terms.  

 

The marvellous dome has played a blinder.  

[Samilktray]

1 minute ago, goose2010 said:

Well he can, he is obviously ambitious and thinks very highly of his self so if it goes tits up and it's seen as his fault he loses employment opportunities. 

 

Gotta remember these people are millionaires already so it isn't always about the money. It cushions the blow I'm sure but to become unemployable at such an early part of your career is a disaster. 

Graham Potter flopped at Chelsea and he’s been linked with Man Utd, England, Ajax. Enzo failing at Chelsea won’t make him unemployable  

[Chelmofox]

Actually glad the club are sounding a little salty. Yes, we are a stepping stone but i don't think many expected him to court this so quickly. We took a huge risk in signing him. I suppose the reward is promotion but it still feels something is missing when you consider the risk.

 

I think he will do well, but looking forward to beating Chelsea 2-0 at the KP with 25% possession.  

[StriderHiryu]

8 minutes ago, MPH said:

Regardless of the size of the offer, or the treatment from the club, this is the thing that irks me. It does come across as a bit disloyal. Very remisncent of Brian Little actually...

 

At the same time, as explained above, 99% of people take the offer on the table from Chelsea.

 

 

Edited 3 June by StriderHiryu

[MPH]

2 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

I don't really think it makes him a hypocrite 

 

I think people are absolutely trying their ****ing hardest to take this as personally as they possible can because that's just what people do on the internet in 2024.

 

But an unbelievably good job opportunity came along at a hugely wealthy and powerful club that will change his and his family's lives. The alternative was staying here where he was already publicly dissatisfied and where we're facing massive sanctions that are 100% our own fault.

 

Fair ****s to him. If you're salty at anyone, be salty at the club. Think he'd be far more inclined to stay here if we hadn't essentially lied to his face when he joined.

 

i know its hard to tell on FT especially when i post randomly like this without an explanation, but i have posted in this thread about how i totally understand why hes done what he's done and the club can take some responsibility for leading him up the garden path a little bit...

 

 

This was just me adding a slightly satirical slant to the day.

[MPH]

3 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

Regardless of the size of the offer, or the treatment from the club, this is the thing that irks me. It does come across as a bit disloyal. Very remisncent of Brian Little actually...

 

 

well we will never fully understand what's gone on behind closed doors of course... 

 

 

 But I was quite surprised that the club came out swinging with their statements and 'leaked' info.... its almost as if they were on damage limitation and wanted to get in a  pre-emptive strike  before the Balogue article dropped..

Edited 3 June by MPH

[Pliskin]

11 minutes ago, sdb said:

Salty from the club. No manager is gonna say no to Chelsea when they've just been managing in a lower division. Plus we've no money, batshit hierarchy and an impending points deduction. Hardly tempting. 

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the club having a nibble. 

[aklaxon]

Definite snake behaviour from Enzo.

 

But referencing loyalty in their statement whilst the club continues to make decisions that alienate fans.

 

Where did I put my tiny violin?

[goose2010]

1 minute ago, Samilktray said:

Graham Potter flopped at Chelsea and he’s been linked with Man Utd, England, Ajax. Enzo failing at Chelsea won’t make him unemployable  

Linked means naff all though does it. 

 

Like I said if it's deemed to be his fault, only takes a whistle blower in the camp to put it all at his desk it might not be so easy. 

 

Going to be interesting to see how it all turns out.