“Let me ask you…” – Enzo Maresca turns tables on journalist with over growing flashpoint about his management | OneFootball

We’ve noticed it with Chelsea and with plenty of other teams before. When things aren’t going well, the first things that fans start to take issue with (after team selection) is the subs.

Because it’s the most obvious way a coach can change a game, and because it’s such a visible, measurable piece of evidence about what they are or aren’t doing, it quickly becomes the focus of any criticism.

That’s exactly what’s happening at Chelsea right now, with four bad results on the spin leading to a flashpoint over Enzo Maresca’s use of his changes in games. He was asked about it again today, following a game where he made his first change after 81 minutes, and ended up having used just 2 of his 5 subs, continuing a recent change.

Asked if there was a reason for a decline in the number of subs he made, the coach denied it, then changed places with the questioner, asking them who they would have taken off:

“No [there’s no reason I’m making fewer changed]. Now we change [roles], let me ask you; which player would you change today?”

Maresca claims there were no changes that needed to be made

A thoughtful Enzo Maresca. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

The manager then defended his methods by claiming that everyone on the pitch was doing well, and therefore there was no need to take them off.

“[When we make subs] it is because there is one [player] that is not good enough and we change for another one. Or simple, one that is playing is tired and is not pressing good. Today I think the 11 on the pitch were all good,” Maresca explained.

“Pedro [Neto] was very good, Jadon [Sancho] was good, Nico [Jackson] was good, Cole [Palmer] was good, Enzo [Fernandez] was good, Moi [Caicedo] was good, Levi [Colwill] was good, Josh [Acheampong] was good… make change for change[‘s sake], I don’t like. I like to make changes when we know the reason why and the reason why we changed Nico was because he was pressing and was a bit tired. Marc [Guiu] was fresh, new energy, and it is exactly the same with Noni for Jadon. This is the reason why.”

Do you buy it? Or does he just not trust his subs?