Graham Ruthven | Chelsea’s dreadful pre-season hints at problems to come under new manager Enzo Maresca

ENZO Maresca is already on the defensive. The Italian hasn’t even take charge of his first competitive match as Chelsea manager, but questions are being asked about his possession-orientated playing style which has been exposed in a number of concerning pre-season friendlies this summer.

Chelsea have conceded 10 goals in games against Wrexham, Celtic and Manchester City. In all three matches, the Blues were caught out at least once playing out from the back. Maresca wants his team to build possession from deep, but this is something that Chelsea’s players appear incapable of doing. Plenty of blunders have been made.

“In this moment, we started just two weeks ago, it’s important that us as the staff and the people can start to see the identity of the team. Tonight it was quite clear,” argued Maresca after a 2-2 draw against Wrexham which saw Chelsea gift two goals to their League One opponents. “Tonight was important to start seeing the identity of the team and the identity is there.”

Maresca is right that Chelsea are now playing with a different identity, but what is the use of that if it is causing his players problems? What is the purpose of Chelsea’s possession if it leads to nothing but defensive errors? Pre-season results must be taken with a pinch of salt, but the Blues’ summer performances hint at serious problems to come this season.

Under Mauricio Pochettino, played a high-intensity, high-energy game that demanded Chelsea move the ball quickly through the lines to attack open space. Now, they are being asked to play an intricate possession game which allows opposition teams to sit deep in a low defensive block. This is a big change in approach to pull off in the space of just one summer.

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Of course, there’s a bigger picture behind Maresca and his appointment this summer. While Pochettino reportedly wanted influence over Chelsea’s transfer strategy, Maresca has been hired as a head coach. The Italian will take charge of matters on the pitch and will leave transfers to sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.

This was important for a club that is increasingly interested in player trading over building a successful team. Indeed, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital pay as much attention to Chelsea’s balance sheet as they do the Premier League table, hence why Conor Gallagher is close to being sold despite impressing last season. As an academy product, his sale will go down as pure profit.

In Maresca, Chelsea identified a manager who would fit into a larger structure. However, they might have misjudged just how awkward a fit the Italian’s favoured style of play would be for the squad he inherited from Pochettino. The Blues look a long way off the required standard with the new Premier League season starting next week.

Even from an entertainment point of view, there are concerns over Maresca’s ability to deliver. While Leicester City won the Championship title last season, some supporters found the Italian’s playing style tedious to watch. They bid Maresca a fond farewell as he was poached by Chelsea this summer, but there was no outpouring of grief over his departure. Some fans believe they are better off with the more forward-thinking Steve Cooper now in charge.

There is a lot of talent within the Chelsea squad. Maresca hasn’t been able to work with some of his best players with Cole Palmer, for example, missing much of pre-season due to his involvement at Euro 2024. Nonetheless, the issues suffered this summer are likely to carry into the season itself, starting with next week’s opening fixture against Manchester City.

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