Chelsea's Maresca on Manchester City's struggles, his relationship with Pep Guardiola and transfers (Full Presser)

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca on his relationship with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and their struggles this season and also possible transfers in the coming days Cobham, London, UK

Transcript

00:00Morning. Right, good morning. We will take the usual

00:29format today and begin with Sky Sports and James Savundra, please.

00:35Hi Enzo, good to see you. In terms of team news,

00:38Levi, Caldwell, Romeo Labia, Enzo Fernandes, will any of those players be available this weekend?

00:44Probably Levi and Enzo, they could be available. It depends on today's session

00:51and Romeo will be out. In terms of Romeo, how long do you think he may be out for now?

00:56We don't know yet. We need to wait a little bit more, but at least I think a few weeks more.

01:03In terms of that midfield situation, how concerning is that to be without Romeo?

01:07Do you think you may need to look to do something in January,

01:09potentially bring in a player or bring back a player who's out more?

01:13No, we have, in this moment, I think we have a player enough to cover that situation,

01:20with Moy, with Enzo, the last game Keenan played there.

01:25So at the moment, the intention is not to go for one more midfielder.

01:29Colt Palmer was a doubt for the game against Wolves, he played, he didn't come off. Is he 100% fit?

01:35He's better, he's better. He did an unbelievable effort to play against Wolves and he's getting better.

01:46The club have been linked with a move for Alejandro Garnaccio in this transfer window.

01:51Are you happy with the wide options you have, or do you think you could do with one more right now?

01:55No, no, I'm happy with the one that we have in this moment,

01:59that we said many times, in the right side is Pedro Noni, in the left side is Jadon.

02:04Mischa was with us, now he's not with us, but Tyreek,

02:07I think it's a young profile that can help us. So in this moment, we are okay.

02:13And finally for me, is there an update you can give us on Renato Vega?

02:17Is he close to moving to Juventus?

02:19At the moment he's a Chelsea player and we'll see in the next hours.

02:39I think that it's normal, it can happen.

02:45What is not normal is the amount of years that they won things, won trophies.

02:52This is something that is not normal.

02:53What is normal in football is to live moments like they are living in this moment,

02:59but for sure they're going to be back soon, I don't have any doubt.

03:04What's your relationship like with Pep?

03:07Do you still keep in contact with him regularly? Do you still speak to him on a regular basis?

03:12Yeah, my contact with him, with the club is fantastic.

03:16I said it many times, I will be always thankful to the Manchester City club.

03:23The reason why is because they called me back after an Italian club

03:27sacked me after three months, two months, three months.

03:29So that shows trust, confidence, faith.

03:32So I will be always thankful in these kind of things to the club and also for sure to Pep,

03:38because we are both managers,

03:44but first of all we have a fantastic relationship in terms of friendship,

03:48and this is the most important thing.

03:51And as a friend of yours, have you seen any difference in him?

03:55No, I think the difference is more from outside, because people in football,

04:02we know that, as I said, these kind of things, this kind of moment,

04:05any club, any manager, any players, they are going to live this kind of moment.

04:09The strange thing is when for seven, eight years,

04:12you don't live these kind of moments like City, they have done.

04:17But overall, they are okay.

04:20I think you have about 10 more days of the transfer window to Jules.

04:24Do you think you will bring anybody who will come in?

04:27I know players might leave, but do you think you will bring anybody in?

04:31Listen, with the club, with the Sport Director, we pay attention if something can happen,

04:37but at the moment, as you said, 10 days to go, we didn't do nothing,

04:43just we call back Trev, and we'll see in the next 10 days if something is going to happen.

04:48What's the situation with Joao Felix?

04:50There's obviously stories about him that he might possibly leave.

04:55What's your take on that? Do you want to keep him here?

04:58But I said, for sure, Joao is a Chelsea player.

05:03The problem, unfortunately, the problem with Joao, with Cristo, is that the manager plays

05:09most of the games with one attacking midfielder, that is called Palmer,

05:13and doesn't like to play with attacking midfielder in most of the game.

05:16So this is the reason why, probably, in some way, Joao and Cristo,

05:22they struggle a little bit to get minutes, not for any different reason,

05:26because both are top players, both are fantastic guys, they work well.

05:31The reason why is only because most of the game I decide to play with one attacking midfielder,

05:36in terms of balance, so this is the reason why.

05:40So there is a scenario in which Joao could leave?

05:43I'm not saying that. I'm not saying that. I'm saying that I like both,

05:47but the reason why they struggle is because most of the time I play with one attacking midfielder.

05:53Chris?

06:00No, I don't think, I don't think, I don't believe in these kind of things.

06:04Probably it's on the other side. I think this kind of club, with these kind of players,

06:09when they are probably in a difficult moment, is when they want to show how good they are.

06:17They want to go against everyone saying, OK, if you think that we are not good enough,

06:22we're going to show you how good we are.

06:23So I don't think there is a good moment to play against City.

06:27When you took the job here, Pep publicly backed you saying that give me time and you'll do well.

06:32Do you think he needs more support now, publicly,

06:35just in this difficult patch he's going through at City?

06:37No, Pep is strong enough to, yeah, he's strong enough in these kind of things.

06:44But for sure, like any human being, he needs support in this moment.

06:50But as I said, if you think a little bit the last eight, nine years,

06:56unless probably the last four months, then the rest, they were top always,

07:00winning titles, winning important trophies.

07:03So it's something normal.

07:06You've won more points away in the season than at home this season.

07:12Can you put that down for anything, mainly?

07:15No, probably just show how balanced we are.

07:17Because, you know, everyone is talking, we get more points away than at home.

07:23I don't think the difference is big between home and away.

07:26And this show probably how the team is balanced home away.

07:31Don't care if we are at home or if we are away.

07:33Hopefully in the future, we can get more points at home.

07:36This is the target.

07:37But overall, I think it's something good because

07:39show how the team is in this moment in terms of balance.

07:44And just finally for me, in terms of the variation within your squad at the moment,

07:48do you think you've got the right mix of players to be challenging for the title?

07:53No.

07:53No, for the title, no, I said, because for sure we are getting better.

07:59But we need to leave experience.

08:01You know, I think in the last, probably in the last month, January, December,

08:07we leave a moment where we struggle with the results.

08:11And I think we're going to be better in the future because of that.

08:16Thanks, Chris.

08:17Rob?

08:19You've said that a few times, that you players need to live moments.

08:22I think you kind of put it.

08:23They need to have these experiences before they can be considered challenges.

08:28Wouldn't we in a way at Manchester City, at the Champions,

08:32would that be one of the kinds of moments that you're talking about?

08:35Because there haven't been many big wins against the big teams.

08:39No, yeah.

08:39But I think, you know, if you see the top six in this moment,

08:46I think we beat Bournemouth away.

08:49We drew at home.

08:50We beat Newcastle at home.

08:52We have to play there.

08:53We drew against Arsenal.

08:55And then we lost to Liverpool at City.

08:57So I think it's a matter of balance.

08:58I said already that we are going to win games against a big team, for sure.

09:04But I don't think if we win tomorrow,

09:06that means that we are ready for the title.

09:10For sure, we're going to try to win tomorrow.

09:13But it will be one more game.

09:16How has Robert Sanchez been around?

09:30No, Robert, it's okay.

09:31It's okay.

09:32It's just a matter for me to understand that anything can happen.

09:38How many times, I don't know,

09:41how many times has Moy missed a pass during the season?

09:45Many times.

09:46How many times has Nico missed a goal?

09:48Many times.

09:49How many times has Noni missed a cross?

09:51Many times.

09:52And Robert made four mistakes during the season that we conceded a goal.

09:56But it's normal.

09:58It's part of the game.

10:00If you don't risk, if you don't play, you don't make mistakes.

10:04So for me, it's not any strange thing behind Robert's mistake.

10:11So it's something that for me is part of our job.

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