Enzo Maresca told he's still not proved himself at Chelsea despite ruthless early approach
Enzo Maresca has successfully remodelled Chelsea's bloated squad without sacrificing results at the start of the season but bigger tests are still to come, warns Emmanuel Petit
by John Cross · The MirrorEmmanuel Petit has praised Enzo Maresca for taking the emotion out of managing Chelsea.
Ex-Blues midfielder Petit says Maresca has taken a cold-hearted approach to axing players from his squad – and it is reaping rich rewards. Chelsea are fourth in the Premier League table, two points off the top and have made an impressive start to the campaign despite another turbulent summer.
They showed Raheem Sterling the door and Ben Chilwell has been told he will not get many chances as ex-Leicester boss Maresca has set about imposing his own style. Maresca has been very open in detailing how his Chelsea squad has two players competing for each position, which has ramped up the competition but left no-one in any doubt about his selection.
Petit, in an interview with BetBrain, said: “We’re beginning to see the work of Enzo Maresca take place – and it’s very hard work that he’s doing. What I like is that he has no regrets or emotions in showing the door to players that don’t suit his system. That would have been the first priority for him, to try and work with 20-22 players and cut out the rest of the squad.
“Chelsea are improving step by step, but they have some big games coming up in October and we’ll see the real quality and power of this squad at the end of the month. The only top team they’ve played so far was Manchester City, which they lost, so I’d like to see them perform in the same way that they’ve done recently against some of the better sides in the Premier League. It’ll be a challenge for Maresca but I’m sure he’ll welcome it.”
Cole Palmer is at the heart of Chelsea’s impressive form and is earning rave reviews with Sky pundit Jamie Carragher even claiming the England star is the best player in the Premier League on the back of his four-goal haul in the 4-2 win over Brighton. But World Cup winner Petit says Palmer must prove himself for England and also European football’s top stage if he wants to be in the conversation to win the Ballon d’Or.
He added: “In order for Cole Palmer to be considered for the Ballon d’Or, he needs to show the same quality as he has done this season in both the Champions League and with his national team.
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“That is the last step he needs to reach if he wants to win the Ballon D'Or. At the moment he's certainly one of the best players in the Premier League and Europe in his position, but he has to reach the same standards as other players do on the European and international scene.
“He's had a brilliant season so far and was also the best player on the pitch for Chelsea last year when they were struggling. I thought the first couple of games this season he was a bit quiet, but step by step he’s regained that form and what he did against Brighton on Saturday was simply amazing. He scored four goals but could have had six in the first half!
“He’s the kind of player that Enzo Maresca needs on the pitch – he leads by example to the rest of the team and has a great personality on the pitch. I love watching him play.”
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