Chris Sutton on Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s Pre-Season Struggles, Mauricio Pochettino and More

As the new Premier League season looms over us, one of the main stories of the summer has been Chelsea Football Club. Their decision to sack Mauricio Pochettino after an underwhelming 23/24 campaign threw their summer plans into question, before appointing former Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca as new head coach.

Since then, there has been plenty going on off and on the pitch for us to delve into and who better to do that with than former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton, who I recently had the pleasure of speaking to about the current ongoings. With that being said let’s take a look at some of the main talking points at Stamford Bridge throughout the summer.

Enzo Maresca’s Arrival

Eyebrows were certainly raised when Chelsea appointed the former Manchester City coach as Pochettino’s successor. However, Sutton shares a bit of sympathy for the new Blues head coach, saying: “For Maresca, he has gone into a really difficult situation at Chelsea and it would’ve been so hard to turn the opportunity down.”

So far, the new boss hasn’t done too much to remove those question marks over the appointment with just one win in their four pre-season friendlies so far. Sutton, however, defended Maresca: “I’ve never looked too deeply at pre-season results,” Sutton said, “In the inaugural Premier League season, I was at Norwich City and we lost every single pre-season game but then went on to nearly win the Premier League the same year!”

This proves the often over-reactionary response to many pre-season results, with some Chelsea fans already giving up hope on the upcoming season.

The former Chelsea forward looked closer at the ‘difficult situation’ that Maresca has inherited, claiming: “The club was in such a mess with Todd Boehly, then the struggles with Graham Potter and then Mauricio Pochettino last season.” Chelsea have always been seen as a turbulent clubs, particularly for managers and that certainly hasn’t changed since Boehly’s arrival either. Maresca is the fifth manager since the takeover in 2022, with the likes of Thomas Tuchel and Frank Lampard also failing at the Bridge in that time. This, along with the constant stream of young and unproven players, undoubtedly makes the club a horribly difficult club for any manager, there’s no denying that.

Pochettino’s Sacking: Warning Signs for Maresca?

When speaking about the recent situations at Chelsea, Sutton also showed his frustration over the decision to sack Pochettino, claiming: “I found the Pochettino decision really strange, they were starting to turn into a really good team at the end of last season,” Sutton continued, “Pochettino has proven with Tottenham Hotspur that with time he can build a really good side, but Chelsea seem to want to stick with this short-term approach.”

Chelsea fans will definitely be hoping that Maresca can find more success than his predecessors, but there’s no doubt over the difficulty of the job ahead for the new head coach. Sutton remains uncertain over Chelsea’s future under Maresca but suggests patience could be key: “It’s definitely going to be a big job for Maresca, but for now he will be looking for continuity and rhythm. We will see.”

Looking Ahead

Chelsea have just one pre-season friendly remaining, against Real Madrid, before their Premier League season gets underway. The Blues face a really tricky start with a huge clash against the champions Manchester City on the opening day. However, after that they have a promising run of games against the likes of Wolves, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and West Ham United.

These games will be crucial for Maresca. A good run of results could build some crucial momentum, whereas in the past Chelsea have often stuttered at the start of their campaigns. On the other hand, a few poor results and the pressure will certainly be on, but as Chris Sutton suggested, patience will be needed.