Enzo Maresca plays fair – slams Marc Guiu but criticises himself too | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca has high standards for himself and for others, as was clear in a discussion about his philosophy ahead of today’s game against Sunderland.

Maresca lays out his standards for his squad

Enzo Maresca getting annoyed

“The target with the players since day one is to try to work hard every day and to try to improve yourself,” Maresca said in quotes picked up by the club’s official website.

“This is the only way to achieve something important. Last season, we were successful by winning the Conference League, the Club World Cup, and finishing in the top four in the Premier League.

“This season it’s exactly the same: try to work hard, try to improve yourself, and this is how we improve things day by day. Then by the end of the season, we will see [what will be achieved].

“I am like the players, I say this to them and I say the same to myself. Try to improve, analyse and study, and then hopefully we can achieve something important.”

For all the gripes (many of them valid) which fans have with Maresca, nobody can deny that he has clearly earned the respect of the players, and when they speak about him positively they really mean it. This sort of attitude is likely why.

He’s quick to criticise others – we saw that with how he handled the Marc Guiu situation this week. But he’s equally quick to admit his own faults, and that sort of fairness will always be well regarded.

In other news…

There’s intense competition for minutes in the Chelsea first team, which is why it’s important Maresca treats everyone fairly – Alejandro Garnacho is in a battle for minutes despite having arrived as a £40m summer signing.

But for all our good form, former Chelsea man Marcel Desailly has said the Blues are a player short of having the firepower to win the league.