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The full transcript from Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca's pre-match press conference ahead of the Blues' Premier League clash against Everton on Saturday afternoon
Enzo Maresca has just wrapped up his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea's Premier League clash with Everton on Saturday afternoon.
The Blues welcome the Toffees, buoyed by a strong run of form that includes four wins from their last six league matches, to Stamford Bridge tomorrow as Maresca's side look for their first victory of the month. The Chelsea head coach has just completed his presser ahead of the game - and you can read every word he had to say below:
How is Cole Palmer?
Yeah, he's okay. He's better. He's at the moment available. We have one more session this afternoon. Yesterday he finished the session with us with a mixed feeling, but overall he's okay.
How is Wesley Fofana?
He's available, he's fine. He took part in the session yesterday and he's completely fine.
How long is Liam Delap out for?
We don't know yet. It can be still two, three, four weeks. We don't know exactly how many days he needs.
You've just been named Premier League Manager of the Month for November...
We are in December now.
How has December gone so far for you?
Yeah, I think again it's these kind of things [winning the award], it's because you do the right things in terms of performance and results. For us, November was fantastic. December, we didn't start in the way we would like. Even if it's just one week ago we played Leeds, eight days ago we played Leeds. So it's just three games in a row in one week that we didn't get results that we expect. But now focus on the next one.
Why do you think you haven't been able to build on the momentum of that brilliant victory against Barcelona and such a strong showing against Arsenal as well?
For me personally, because it's football, for me it's completely normal. Again, I understand that most of the time we are always looking for problems or things that we need to solve. But again, Leeds game was last Wednesday. It's eight, nine days ago. And now in eight, nine days ago we are not going to change our season because we didn't get the points that we expect for sure. But I'm completely relaxed. I'm completely okay because I'm sure that at the end of the season we're going to be where we have to be. The reason why we dropped points, again, because it's football. Bournemouth away, we drew. Leeds away was a bad day for us, for all of us. Atalanta game, again, it's a game that for me, we were in the game, we were winning, we were okay. And we conceded, if you review the first goal, they had one player inside the box and we had seven players. So we have seven against one and we conceded the goal. So big mistakes are things that we need to improve.
Just how significant is tomorrow's match when you consider just how tight the table is right now?
Yeah, for sure it's important. But all the games, they're important. I think Bournemouth was important. The next one, we have Cardiff and then Newcastle. They are all important. So if we are able to beat Everton tomorrow, it's much better for us. Otherwise, we continue to try and to see how we can do better.
Happy to see Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall doing so well?
I didn't have any doubt about Kiernan. I know that the more he's going to play, he's going to be better. But again, with us, he was good all season, working hard. The time that he played, he was doing well. But yeah, he has also good players, so the competition was a big competition for him. I have no doubt that in the moment that he was able to play more games, he was doing well.
Last season you often put Cole Palmer in the left half-space and Enzo Fernandez in the right half-space. That happened vs Bournemouth as well. What is your thinking behind that?
Yeah, it's just, again, it's where we can use our best players, where they can be better. So the reason why was, again, for that.
Why no minutes for Jorrel Hato and Andrey Santos?
I said already many times, they work every day to play games. Now, Atalanta game, Enzo [Fernandez], Marc [Cucurella], as you said, they are playing many games. It's normal that the level cannot be always the same, but I don't have a doubt that Andrey is going to have his chance. Jorrel, exactly the same. And hopefully tomorrow or soon we can give them some chances.
How much does it help you when Stamford Bridge is bouncing?
Yeah, absolutely. It's a nice feeling. It's a nice feeling for sure. We have to do something to help them from the beginning to be with us. But no doubt that tomorrow they're going to be with us since the whistle.
Is the next step for your side finding that consistency?
Yeah, it's the next step for us. I think during the season, the teams that are more consistent at the end, they are the teams that are going to be there. What do we need to avoid that? Probably with what happened last year, now again it's just one week, it's not a long time. But for sure when something happens, the next one you are more ready, more prepared, and you can avoid that.
How do you get the players to understand what needs to improve in order for your consistency levels to improve?
Yeah, knowing again that in terms of human beings, it's impossible to be all season at the same level. But for sure, probably we need to learn things and to avoid that in the future.
Performance of Josh Acheampong a positive from the Atalanta defeat?
Absolutely yes, absolutely yes. And the good thing about Josh is that in the moment that we give him the chance, he's always doing well. And this is the reason why I said many times that for him, he is going to be a big player for this club. It just matters to be patient, wait the right moment, and also in the moment that you continue to perform in the way he's doing, probably he's going to have more chances, chances, chances.
Is there a reason that before the Atalanta game Acheampong wasn't selected much?
Because in this moment, also with Trev [Chalobah] and Wes [Fofana], we had like four, five, six games with clean sheet, clean sheet, clean sheet. So sometimes you are also looking for stability. So this is the reason why. But again, when you know that you have a player that when you need him, he's always ready to perform, it's so important. So Josh has to continue to do what he's doing.
How do you help Delap when he is suffering with these injuries?
Liam in general is good. He knows that he has been a little bit unlucky, but overall he's good. Now for him the focus is to recover. He's inside the building every day to try to recover. He's with his teammates for breakfast, lunch, he's with us. So it's just a matter of now time and being back.
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