- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,147,606
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
[Getty Images]
The way things at Chelsea have "fallen apart" since Enzo Maresca's exit shows "how important a figure and how good a manager he was", says The Athletic journalist and Blues fan Lucy Oliver.
BBC Radio Manchester spoke to fans of both of Maresca's former sides in England, Chelsea and Leicester, to assesses the Italian's suitability as Pep Guardiola's successor at Manchester City.
"There had been the public showings of discontent," Oliver said. "He had stopped wearing the club's tracksuit and had spoken out against the owner.
"We could tell not everything was quite what it seemed.
"He did get quite a hard time with the Chelsea fans, maybe because he is quite a reserved character and not that big, flamboyant personality type. They had started to turn around on him a little bit because he had spoken out about the ownership and it was the ownership above him that we were griping with.
"That's what made it harder when he left. While they gave him a tough time to start with, by the end he was the only hope and the person who was actually getting a tune out of these players. The way it has fallen apart after he's left just shows how important a figure and how good a manager he was."
On Maresca's Championship-winning campaign with Leicester, Foxes fan Ben added: "It was incredible. Off the back of the Premier League relegation there was uncertainty but there was excitement when he came in. It was amazing to go straight back up, especially with what else was going on at the club.
"He's from that Pep lineage of managers we are seeing be so successful. A lot of possession, a lot of the ball with the centre backs to bring on the press, and then breaking the line with passes. Interesting things with inverting the full-backs - there are lot of similarities.
"He is the perfect successor I would say."
Listen to the full chat below or on BBC Sounds
You must be registered for see images
Continue reading...
