In the 20th round of the English Premier League, Chelsea shook hands with Crystal Palace with a score of 1-1. After the match, Chelsea's manager Maresca attended the press conference and gave an in-depth answer on hot topics such as the process of the match, the team's recent situation and lineup adjustment.
Thoughts on the outcome of the match
Maresca admits that Chelsea's performance this campaign was enough for them to win the game. From the first half to the second half, the team created numerous chances to score, but unfortunately, failed to capitalize on them. He emphasized that in the world of soccer, failing to capitalize on chances is not enough to remove the suspense from a game, especially in a challenging stadium like Crystal Palace.
Impact of team mentality
Regarding the team's failure to win four consecutive matches, Maresca believes that it has not significantly affected the team's mentality. He firmly believes that every team suffers a down period during the season and Chelsea is no exception. He emphasized that it is about improvement and not about the standings. According to him, the team did quite well regardless of whether they had possession of the ball or not, they just failed to capitalize on their chances.
Reasons for staffing adjustments
Responding to a question about not making too many personnel changes in recent games, Maresca said there was no particular reason. He emphasized that there needs to be a clear reason for making adjustments, such as a player's poor performance or lack of stamina. He revealed that Jacquesson and Sancho were replaced today because they looked fatigued in a high-pressure defense, while the substitutions of Giou and Madueke injected new energy.
Josh Archampong's debut performance
Speaking about Josh ACHAMPONG's decision to make his first Premier League start, Maresca expressed his satisfaction. He believes Josh has the potential to be a top player for the club but needs the right growth path and the right timing. He praised Josh for his play today but also reminded him that he needs to be steady, work hard and wait for his next opportunity. Maresca emphasized that he has full trust in Josh, who has proven himself even without the reinforcements involved.
FA Cup and League Preparation
On the upcoming FA Cup third round tie, Maresca said that it is an opportunity to rotate the squad. He revealed that this is the first time since September that the team has had a full week of training and therefore has the opportunity to be fully prepared for the FA Cup and subsequently prepare for the Premier League. He emphasized the need for the team to remain consistent and ready for the upcoming matches.
Ways to Improve Your Proximity
Regarding the team's lack of ability to score on goal, Maresca believes that creating chances is key. If chances can be created, then the team is doing the right things. The next step is the need to capitalize on those chances. He revealed that the team will try to increase the intensity in training to improve the players' shooting skills. At the same time, he admitted that this is an area where the team needs to improve, but at the same time realizes that the team is one of the few teams with the best goal-scoring ability in the league at the moment.
Ravia's comeback
Regarding Ravia's comeback, Maresca said that he hopes he will be able to play in the next game, which will certainly give the team a huge boost.
Nikolai Jacobsson's Mindset Adjustment
Responding to Nikolai Jaksson's recent problem of scoring only one goal and missing chances in six matches, Maresca said that strikers sometimes take all the chances and sometimes miss some. He emphasized that Jaksson had two to three excellent scoring chances today and was always ready on the field. He hopes that Jaksson will be more fortunate next time, but overall, he deserves credit for his performance today.
