• 2 days ago
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca reacts to Chelsea 4-2 victory at White Hart Lane

08/12/2024

Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium, London, UK
Transcript
00:00Does that feel like your biggest win yet as Chelsea manager?
00:07I don't know, to be honest.
00:09I'm not thinking about this.
00:12For sure, it's an important win.
00:14First of all, for the way that arrived,
00:18because to come in this stadium against this team
00:21and to concede two goals
00:23and then continue with the same plan on the ball, off the ball,
00:27show how the players are mentally strong at this moment,
00:31that is important.
00:33Then personally, I don't consider this game the biggest win.
00:39I've said many times already
00:41that this team is going to win games against a big team,
00:44it's going to lose games against a big team,
00:46because it's football.
00:47The only thing I really focus on and care about is how we can improve.
00:51What do you think went wrong in that first and second game?
00:56Marc Cucurella said to me at the end of the game
00:59that he was trying to give a little bit of emotion to the game.
01:02Probably it was too much, two goals.
01:04But probably it's the perfect win for this motivation,
01:10because two goals down was the worst picture for us.
01:15Even if we were in control, we were playing,
01:18we conceded two goals from Cucu
01:20and probably we conceded one more chance
01:22because we were wrong in the build-up.
01:25Then we created chances, we controlled the game,
01:29we kept the ball,
01:31then half-time we changed something tactically
01:35and in the second half I think we deserved to win the game.
01:39Tabidai?
01:51Very happy.
01:53Since we started, we are trying to work the way we want to play,
01:58on the ball and off the ball,
02:00but also we are trying to work in terms of mentality, togetherness,
02:05to come in this stadium and think that you are going to win
02:10or compete without suffering or without some bad moment.
02:13It's impossible.
02:15So we were ready for that.
02:17As I said, probably it's too much after 15 minutes
02:19to give away two goals like tonight,
02:22but it's the perfect win probably because of this.
02:27Matt?
02:36What do you think of the penalty?
02:41Probably since we started I didn't see a goal-shooting penalty.
02:47In terms of the second penalty, it's a goal.
02:53It's a goal and you have to expect anything.
02:56The good thing about the team again,
02:58once again tonight Bissouma was marking him man-to-man,
03:01so he has to learn how to play against a team
03:05that now they go man-to-man with him.
03:08But overall it was fantastic the way he worked off the ball,
03:12the pressing from all the players in front,
03:14the two wingers, Nico, Cole.
03:16Very good.
03:28Yes, absolutely.
03:31Why do you think he's so good?
03:34Because Cole belongs to that kind of players.
03:39They are not normal players.
03:42They are top players.
03:44And top players do things that normal players or us,
03:49we say, how can he do that?
03:51He's because he's Cole, he's because he's top,
03:54and we can expect this from Cole.
03:57Liam?
04:01Was it concussion concerns with Romeo at half-time
04:04or was it just purely tactical?
04:06No, unfortunately he felt something in his hamstring
04:10the last minutes of the first half.
04:13Now he was working without any pain,
04:16but because it was small things,
04:18since we start I don't like to lose players
04:21for five, six, seven games in a row,
04:23less than 45 minutes,
04:25even if Romeo was playing a fantastic first half.
04:29We tried to change because he had a problem.
04:36No, it can happen.
04:39Unfortunately it happened to the same player twice,
04:42but I think it happens many times in football
04:44that a player sleeps.
04:47As I said, unfortunately it happened to him twice,
04:50but no more than that.
04:52Nizel?
04:59Is that the biggest celebration you've been involved in?
05:02How do you manage the players going forward?
05:04A big celebration, a big hug?
05:06No, but we work every day for this kind of moment,
05:10to celebrate with the fans and to be close to them.
05:13For sure, because tonight was derby,
05:15because the way we are in this moment,
05:18we are all happy,
05:19and I think to share that moment is fantastic.
05:24I said many times that we need our fans
05:27home and away,
05:28and I will tell now in this moment
05:30that against Brentford we need them
05:32to continue in this moment for us.
05:34It won't be an easy game against Brentford,
05:36and we need them to help us and pushing us.
05:39John?
05:40Just going back to Cole,
05:42on current form,
05:43is he the most exciting and the best player
05:45in the Premier League right now?
05:48For us, for sure.
05:50But then I think the Premier League
05:52is full of top players, top talent.
05:56But Cole belongs to those players.
06:09I said I had Cole for one year,
06:11four years ago at City, under-23,
06:14so I know Cole from four, five years ago.
06:17The best thing for me is that four, five years ago
06:19when he was with me under-23,
06:21he was in one way,
06:23and now after two years,
06:2520 goals, 30 goals, 25 goals,
06:27assists that everyone considers him
06:29one of the same,
06:30he's exactly the same guy.
06:32Low football, humble,
06:34no strange things,
06:35and this is the best thing for Cole
06:38and for young players,
06:39because you know that today young players,
06:41if they play one game good,
06:43they already think that they are,
06:45and they lose the balance.
06:46Cole the best thing, yes,
06:47that is always the same,
06:49don't change,
06:51and we are very happy with Cole.
07:08I said since we started
07:10that the reason why Jadon came here
07:13is because we think that Jadon
07:16is going to help us.
07:18Unfortunately he had some small problems,
07:20so he was out for a while,
07:22now he's back,
07:23the only thing he has to do
07:24is to continue in the same way,
07:25he cannot drop,
07:27otherwise he's not going to play,
07:29and tonight about his performance
07:31and Pedro Neto,
07:32he's on the ball,
07:33both they were very good,
07:35but off the ball,
07:36they were running,
07:37full of Borro,
07:38full of Udogi,
07:39they were defensively very good,
07:41and this is what we need.
07:49What was the problem?
07:52No, there was no problem,
07:53to be honest,
07:54I think the plan first half
07:55was working well,
07:56we were attacking,
07:57controlling the game,
07:58we conceded two goals unfortunately,
08:00I was very happy,
08:01the only thing that,
08:03watching the way they were pressing,
08:05first half we had Cole Palmer
08:07in one side,
08:08and Enzo Fernandes in the other side,
08:11second half we had Cole Palmer
08:12in one side,
08:13and Koukoura in the other side,
08:15and we changed something in behind,
08:18it was just for this reason,
08:21I think it works quite well,
08:23at the end we won the game,
08:25and it was just about this.
08:28And just one more, Jacob.
08:43No, no, no, exactly,
08:45after the game,
08:46my message to the player
08:47was to be focused,
08:49anyway tomorrow we are off,
08:51but to be focused
08:52in the day by day,
08:53in our session,
08:54in the next game on Thursday,
08:56and then Sunday,
08:57because if you start to think
08:59in two games,
09:00in three games,
09:01in four games,
09:02where we are,
09:03it's completely wrong,
09:04so the main focus has to be
09:05now enjoy the day off
09:06with the family,
09:07with the friends,
09:08when we come back,
09:09go again,
09:10100%,
09:11train well,
09:12go for the game,
09:13no more than that,
09:14we are happy that our fans,
09:16they are happy,
09:18they can dream,
09:19they can think everything,
09:20because from outside,
09:24it's quite clear,
09:25also inside,
09:26the reality is that,
09:27I said many times,
09:28that for me we are not ready
09:30to be there,
09:31but the important thing
09:32is that we improve day by day.
09:34Thanks everyone.

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