Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca believes his workforce’s frailties in pre-season are right down to the gamers studying to maneuver away from a excessive line of defense which had precipitated them points up to now.
The Blues conceded 63 objectives in 38 Premier League video games through the 2023/24 marketing campaign underneath Mauricio Pochettino, who’s famed for his facet’s aggressive urgent type and dangerous excessive line.
Maresca has since changed Pochettino within the Stamford Bridge hot-seat and has to date taken cost of 5 pre-season matches, transport 12 objectives in that point.
Chelsea rounded off their tour of the US with a 2-1 defeat to Actual Madrid in Charlotte, with each of Los Blancos’ objectives coming with a good bit of ease because of the lack of depth within the Blues’ defending.
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Talking to the media post-match, Maresca recognised Chelsea’s vulnerability on the again and defined his plan to alter their fortunes.
“Certainly one of my first conferences with the squad was in regards to the quantity of objectives we conceded final 12 months with the line of defense very excessive,” he mentioned.
“We aren’t engaged on defensive strains so excessive. It is a behavior from final 12 months, or years in the past, I do not know.
“We try to drop the line of defense a bit bit, often about 4 or 5 metres, simply to have some benefit.
“Final 12 months, we already conceded many objectives with this downside. Hopefully we will remedy it very quickly.”
Chelsea will fly again to England and play one closing pre-season recreation earlier than the beginning of their Premier League marketing campaign.
Italian champions Inter head to west London this Sunday, earlier than Manchester Metropolis develop into the primary guests to Stamford Bridge for 2024/25 seven days later – the Cityzens beat Chelsea 4-2 in a pleasant final week.
