Something often thrown at a manager when they are struggling or under pressure, as supporters debate the merits of keeping them in a job, is the question of how many players have improved under them. Quite simply, if the role of a head coach is to get the best out of their tools, who is actually seeing the benefit?
For Enzo Maresca, the last two months at Chelsea have not been kind to him in this regard. Ask the question after his side beat Brentford in mid-December and the answer would have been that Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho, Marc Cucurella, and Enzo Fernandez were all looking just as good if not better than they had done last season. Others were impressing as well.
Levi Colwill was also performing strongly despite his centre-back partners changing on a regular basis. Noni Madueke remained inconsistent but still dangerous. What has happened since is serious regression.
There are many factors contributing. Firstly, this group of players are tired. They look leggy, heavy, and have little support in most cases. The January transfer window did not change this, and if anything, Maresca lost depth instead.
He was not exactly using the squad players anyway and often opted to select the same team when possible, also rarely turning to substitutes early. This combination has certainly impacted individuals and for Jackson and Madueke it may well have contributed to their recent injuries as fatigue built.
Another factor is that Maresca is no longer the new manager on the block. Opposition analysts and coaches have had a chance to play Chelsea once and have more evidence to pore over before playing. There was a familiar pattern to things over the Christmas and new year period as Chelsea failed to break down deep defences, getting caught at the other end as losing control when subs were made.
