• 2 months ago
Maresca on Chelsea squad players Cup win over Barrow

24/09/2024

Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Transcript
00:00OK, good evening. If you'd like to ask a question, please raise your hand and we'll look to get around as many as possible.
00:17Rizard, do you want to get us started?
00:18That seemed pretty much a perfect night from what we would want from this game, bringing players back, scoring a lot of goals.
00:26Yeah, very happy with the performance, with the results. As you said, we made many changes, but the idea from the team was exactly the same.
00:37This has to be one of our targets, no matter who is going to play. It's important that the identity of the team is always there.
00:47This kind of game, I'm always worried a lot, because it's a tricky game and football is full of these games where you underestimate the other team.
01:00You concede goals, you concede chances, but tonight I think the performance was very good and we showed how serious we were.
01:10With the Carabao Cup and also the Conference League, you could potentially make 11 changes in every match, couldn't you?
01:17You made 11 changes today, could you see that maybe more going forward with the Premier League and these other competitions?
01:23It depends a little bit on the moment of the season. Sometimes you can have injury, you can have different kinds of problems.
01:33In this moment, we are all available, unless Romeo and Riz. So if we have a chance, we try to share minutes with all of them.
01:46These games are always important for milestones and first goals for players. First goal for Pedro Oneto and Chelsea today, must be really pleased with that.
01:54Happy, happy for Pedro, happy for Cristo and for Joao, for all of them. Because I said already many times, they all deserve to play from the start in the Premier League.
02:06They are not playing in this moment, but the way they take the chances when we give them some minutes, it's fantastic.
02:14No matter if it's 5 minutes, 45 minutes, 90 minutes, they all are ready and this is the most important thing.
02:24Tyreek George, when he came on, I thought he looked really bright, but he looked very upset with himself after missing a chance. Have you spoken to him?
02:32I was happy with him and with Josh, I think both they did very well. In these kinds of games, for them, it's important to show to be brave, don't be shy, no matter if you make a mistake.
02:43Both they did very well, as you said, Tyreek missed a chance, then he created another one for himself. Then I really like Josh, the way he showed himself with the ball, step in, brave, personality, happy for both of them.
03:02How do you think about Gil Otet?
03:04Also, very good. It was not easy for Chilly, because he didn't get any minutes this season. He showed that he's there, he's ready, he's working well. As I said, there is not any problem. If we have a chance, we can give him some more minutes in games.
03:21That change with him and Gusto at half-time, was that planned before?
03:26Yes, it was planned. Simply, in the first half, with Malo going inside, in that side. In the second half, we just did the same, but in the left side, with Chilly inside. But it was planned already, the change was planned.
03:42Is the team for Brighton now going to be difficult to pick, particularly up front? You've got a striker who scored a hat-trick tonight, another one who scored two on the weekend.
03:50Yes, but this is the most important thing for me, that they make my choice difficult. That means that they are all doing well, and this is a key point and key things that we need to continue on that.
04:06Great game today, two goals for Tottenham in 15 minutes, and the first goal for Bedroom for Chelsea. There were so many achievements today, but what was your favourite highlight of the game?
04:17Before the game, I asked the players that, even if we are the youngest squad in the Premier League, I asked them to show how serious we are. For me, the most important thing tonight, for sure, was winning the game, but also to send the message that yes, we are young, but we are men, we are serious and we want to compete.
04:48I've seen almost every game this season, sometimes your full-backs come into midfield, sometimes they go to play-outs at ten, sometimes you don't even have a full-back and you still have tactical tweaks. How much work goes into that?
05:02I don't understand, how much? Ah, work, I don't know.
05:18We try to prepare, I said since I joined the club that we prepare the game, it depends on how the other team is defending or attacking. So we try to find solutions, and as you said, Palace was one plan, today was another plan.
05:42Today, first half, Malo, second half, Chilwell, they were playing like attack midfielder on the ball. It's just to create in some area of the pitch, in some part of the pitch, overload of players and to have more, the guy that has the ball, he has more option to pass, he has not just one.
06:05And then he can decide which one can pick one of the option that he has, but the idea of the target is to give them more solution and then they decide.
06:18It's difficult to judge last year because I was not here, the only thing I can judge is that both they are doing fantastic, not because they score, only score, but the way they work off the ball, the way they sacrifice for the team.
06:47So this is very important for both of them. And it's a nice problem when you have two strikers that they continue to score. Unfortunately, Marc Guglio is not scoring in this moment, but hopefully soon he can score a goal.
07:02But it's nice that you can decide which one and then, because they are in a good moment, we can use them.
07:11I don't know, you tried earlier in the season with both together, but can you see that at some stage where they will play alongside each other?
07:18Could be. The problem is the balance, defensive balance, because we can think to play with Nicolas, Christo, Joao, Cole Palmer, Noni, fantastic, but then who is defending? Me and you, we go, we need to run back.
07:35The problem is, I would like to put all of them, because I really like football and I really like to keep the ball. The problem is that when you lose the ball, then you have to defend, and not all of them can defend at the same level.

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