4 takeaways from Enzo Maresca’s first Chelsea interview

The Chelsea stars are back at Cobham and already getting a taste of life under new manager Enzo Maresca.

The Italian, who replaced Mauricio Pochettino in the dugout this summer, recently sat down with Chelsea media for his first official interview, offering fans an insight into what they can expect with him at the helm.

Here are four of the biggest talking points from Maresca’s interview.

Many Chelsea fans struggled to take to Pochettino from the outset, fearing his past with Tottenham Hotspur meant he could never truly care about the Blues. That negativity persisted throughout the season and ended with chants of Jose Mourinho’s name ringing around the stadium.

While Maresca has no rival history to worry about – the FA Cup quarter-final scrap last March wasn’t that deep – the new boss made it clear that getting fans behind him early on is vital as he called on supporters to bring the sort of positivity that Moises Caicedo and other new faces felt they were starved of last year.

“In this moment, when you join a club you try to analyse what the club and team needs to improve and do the right things,” Maresca said. “For me, it’s clear we need to create as soon as possible the right mentality and culture, a culture that the fans can be proud of. This is very important.

“We are going to try to be an aggressive team on the ball and off the ball and we need to create this connection between the fans and the club, especially at home.

“When you have your own fans behind the team pushing, it’s like playing with 12 players and this is what we have to create here.”

Maresca’s Leicester played a unique style of football which, while not void of flaws, often captivated those who watched the Foxes’ push to Championship glory last season.

The current Chelsea squad is not exactly built for Maresca’s style of play – inverted full-backs, goalscoring wingers and elite-level passing from a goalkeeper – but the boss is not worried about making his tactics work at Stamford Bridge.

“I think every manager has their own idea or style. Mine is quite clear,” Maresca said. “Last year was very good but that is finished. It’s a new chapter, a new squad and a new club. I’m very happy to be here.”

He concluded: “Just trust the process, trust the idea, be behind the team. For sure we are going to enjoy the…