Maresca on Chelsea’s bad record at Old Trafford, Palmer fitness and Sterling future (Full Presser)

NicheSportMedia

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca on his side’s awful record at Old Trafford where they face Manchester United this weekend, the fitness of Cole Palmer and the futures of Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi Cobham, London, UK

Transcript

00:01Morning, morning, morning.

00:04You might not need to jump up.

00:07It's a little bit hot in here.

00:09Wow.

00:11It's a multi-coaster.

00:14It's because we all complimented you on your knitwear last week

00:17so we could get another jump out.

00:19That's alright.

00:25It's a very cool jump, sorry.

00:27You're regretting that.

00:31Shorts, shorts.

00:33Okay.

00:34Good morning.

00:35Thank you for joining us.

00:36We will take the usual format today

00:39and we will begin with Gail Davis and Sky Sports News.

00:45Off you go, Gail.

00:46Yes, yes.

00:47Morning.

00:48Obviously, you came off a very high of the summer

00:53and beat them in the Premier League.

00:55How much was maybe Wednesday?

00:56Just a little bit of a realisation of the work that Chelsea have

01:02over the next few months as you approach this game tomorrow.

01:07I think Wednesday game is a normal game in terms of

01:16it's a Champions League game, it's Bayern Munich away.

01:22And we knew that it was a tough game.

01:25We tried our best.

01:27I think for part of the game we were very good.

01:31and then for sure there are things that we can do better,

01:36but like always.

01:38We don't like to lose game for sure, but my feeling at the end of the game

01:45was a good feeling in terms of we are here and we're going to play our part in this competition.

01:56We've heard this week from the PFA you've been checking in on a couple of your players.

02:03You spoke last week about the fact that you hadn't even spoken to Raheem Sterling

02:08when he hadn't got his move on deadline day.

02:12How comfortable are you with the situation that those players find themselves in?

02:17It wasn't that long ago you were a player. How might you feel in their situation?

02:25I've been in Raheem's situation and Axel's situation as a player

02:32and for sure I know that is not the best feeling for a player

02:36because if you are a player that means that you want to turn and play a game.

02:40But then for different reasons the situation is the situation that is in this moment.

02:45I know that the club is giving them the opportunity to work in the right way

02:52and this is the only thing I can say.

02:54It feels like from the outside from what we've heard, training separately, eating separately,

03:00not being a part, it seems quite extreme.

03:04Are you not worried about the long-term effect?

03:06What effect did that have on you when you were told to be by yourself

03:13and absolutely not be a part of what they signed up to be a part of?

03:18No, but I know that it's something that you like and want to talk about,

03:27but it's not just Chelsea, it's any club in the world, I can promise you.

03:31Italy, Spain, England, France, USA, Brazil, any club in the world.

03:36When for any reason the player and the club doesn't find any solution,

03:42you give the player all the tools to do training sessions and to do everything,

03:47but if you are not involved in the squad, you are not involved in the squad.

03:50Again, I know that it's something that you like to talk about,

03:53but it's not about Chelsea, it's about any club in the world.

03:56I know, but it's about the human at the centre of this, isn't it?

03:59Like their mental health.

04:02My father is 75 years old and for 50 years he has been a fisherman,

04:09working for 2 o'clock in the morning until 10 o'clock in the morning.

04:12This is hard in life, not players the way they work.

04:18A word on United then.

04:21We've heard a lot from Amarim after what's been quite difficult

04:25at the start of the season for him.

04:27He's speaking to his philosophies.

04:30As a modern manager at a club where you don't always have total control

04:36over the players in and out, how much do you feel having that element

04:41of flexibility helps you to get to where you want to go?

04:46The only thing I can say is that I really appreciate Ruben.

04:50I watched Ruben games since he was in Sporting.

04:54He's a magnificent manager.

04:57Like all the managers, when you start a new project,

05:01sometimes you can struggle a little bit more, a little bit less,

05:04but at the end you're going to struggle.

05:06But I don't have any doubt that he's a fantastic manager.

05:09Chelsea haven't won at Old Trafford in quite some time,

05:19I don't know if you know that, since 2013,

05:2112 years since they won at Old Trafford.

05:23Is it fair to say this does look quite a good opportunity,

05:26given the start that United have had?

05:30I think it's always difficult to play United away in their stadium,

05:36Old Trafford, so I don't think that now is the right moment

05:40or next year will be the right moment or last year was the right moment.

05:44It's always difficult.

05:45It's a difficult team, it's a difficult stadium.

05:48I watch the games that they played this season,

05:50some of the games are not a real result in terms of even City games,

05:55until 1-0, 2-0 they were in the game.

05:57When the game was 0-0, they had a few chances to score

06:00and to go ahead on the result.

06:02So, it will be a tough game, no doubt.

06:05Player-wise, how's Cole Palmer and any other injuries?

06:10Cole is OK.

06:12We have a session now, we flew back yesterday,

06:17so we need to assess some of the players,

06:20we have some doubt,

06:21but we didn't do any sessions since Wednesday game,

06:24and we'll see after.

06:26It's going to be like this obviously with the Champions League,

06:28but does that give a team like Man Utd,

06:30who don't play every weekend,

06:32a advantage over you?

06:33You didn't get back until Thursday,

06:35you travel up to Manchester.

06:37If you ask me, I prefer to play the Champions League game,

06:41no doubt.

06:42But at the same time, the reality says

06:44that they had one entire week to prepare the game,

06:47and we played a game two days ago, 24 hours ago, 48 hours ago,

06:53but again, I prefer to play the Champions League games.

06:56Given that you had the draw of Brentford and defeating Munich,

06:59does it just put a little bit more pressure on this game at Old Trafford?

07:02Absolutely not, personally not.

07:04I have pressure all the games that I want to try to win all the games,

07:07but it's not because we drew Brentford and we lost Bayern Munich away

07:12that this game I feel more pressure.

07:15I always had pressure because we want to win all the games.

07:19And again, I think Bayern Munich away, PSG away and Barcelona away

07:26probably they were the worst stadium to go and play the first game in Champions League.

07:32We were there, we compete face to face and we see the next one.

07:37Thanks John.

07:38Soraya?

07:39Hi.

07:40Against Bayern Munich, of course outside of the really strong points,

07:43there was some fatigue among some of the players that we could see.

07:46Specifically, mainly Jao Pedro, who had to leave the press a lot of the time

07:50and use his physicality.

07:51Of course you recalled Mark Gui and he's very good at pressing,

07:55but how realistic is it in your plans to consistently use him in Dillac's absence?

08:00Mark is back, the reason why he's back is because the intention is to use him,

08:04but he needs to do things better, he needs to improve things,

08:11and for sure we're going to use him.

08:14When Parma and Esteval play together, you have like a right wing that likes ten zones,

08:19you have a ten that likes drifting into the right half space.

08:22Who do you prefer to play wider in general and just on the back of Esteval?

08:26How much do you think he can develop and be great in that ten role?

08:29Esteval can be great in all the attacking positions because his talent is very good,

08:35he's a top player, but at the same time he's 17, 18 years old,

08:38so he needs to be 18 years old in his time a little bit.

08:43But I think both they can play wide, both they can play as a ten,

08:48and I feel very lucky to have both of them with us.

08:53Last season I remember you spoke about ahead of a Newcastle game

08:56when they were in a difficult period,

08:58that this is the hardest time to play a team like that.

09:00As mentioned, Manchester United are in an up-and-down situation right now.

09:05What do you think are their main threats that could be used against you this weekend?

09:10First of all, the desire to win this game after when you struggle,

09:18the next one is the one that we want to win,

09:23so the desire to win against Chelsea,

09:26at home, in front of their fans,

09:29so there are all reasons that they can be very important for them.

09:34Thanks, Soraya.

09:35Simon.

09:36Hi, Anto.

09:37How do you think he's started under you,

09:42and how do you think he's mentally prepared to go back to his old club?

09:48Do you think he's ready to start in a game where we don't know

09:52what kind of atmosphere he might get?

09:55In the last two games, he was inside very good.

09:58He came in very good in the second half against Brentford

10:01and the other day against Bayern Munich,

10:03so we are happy in the way he's adapting our style,

10:07what we want from the winger.

10:09Now if he's ready to start tomorrow,

10:12I think he's ready to start.

10:14Do you think he should get a good reception from the United fans,

10:19given that he seems to leave in a very unhappy way?

10:23I don't know Simon, to be honest.

10:25I don't know.

10:26It's a question for the fans, not for me.

10:29Can he handle it though, if he does get a top reception?

10:32Do you think he's got a young player?

10:35Yeah, it's always difficult.

10:38The other day against Bayern Munich,

10:40Cucurelia every time he touched the ball,

10:42the noise was not the best one,

10:44but you have to learn also to handle these kinds of things.

10:47OK, thanks guys.

10:49Camera's off please.

10:50Oh my god.

10:52I'm trying.

10:53I'm trying.

10:54I'm trying.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended