London is Blue Dispatch #047

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The last Premier League team Leicester faced, and the first glimpse Chelsea’s hierarchy had of Enzo Maresca first-hand, was when the two sides met in last season’s FA Cup quarterfinal. Leicester arrived near full-strength (missing only captain Ricardo Pereira.) At that juncture, coasting towards certain promotion, this was their first opportunity to ascertain how they’d fare against those in the elite tier.

Leicester spent the first half chasing shadows. Chelsea went in two up at the break; if Raheem Sterling hadn’t had the worst 45 minutes of his senior career, where he missed a 1v1, blocked a goal-bound shot and stole a penalty off Palmer only to miss, it could easily have been five. In the end, the 4-2 scoreline flattered the visitors, who were out-thought and outplayed.

It is perhaps, too early, too naïve, to say this, but if Maresca persists with his rigid Leicester blueprint, he could be in deep trouble by Christmas. Certain parts of his game model have been used and exploited before in the PL. Man-marking all over the pitch has worked well for them in the Championship, but Leeds’ Bielsa tried it and despite being the fittest and most intense team in the PL in 20/21, were pulled apart at will. Palmer and Gusto in particular manipulated Leicester’s right side with consummate ease.

Maresca’s changes in that game were minor at best – a) asking the quicker Wout Faes to mark Nicolas Jackson, after the Senegalese striker had exploited Jannik Vestergaard multiple times 1v1, including on the first goal b) asking Patson Daka to prioritize shadowing our pivots over charging down the CBs.

What helped Leicester claw back a two-goal deficit weren’t Maresca’s changes but Chelsea being Chelsea – Disasi lobbed his own keeper from 25 yards and Mavdidi scored a beauty from Leicester’s only shot on target. Only last season’s Chelsea could allow an opponent to score twice from one shot on target.

Why So Serious?

Is the assessment harsh? Certainly. After all, his Leicester side were on track to break the all-time points record in the Championship. But Leicester were also undoubtedly blessed with the league’s best squad talent wise. Their annual wage bill, close to 60m, was a 50.4% increase on their nearest competitors, Southampton (40.01m). That annual wage bill, not accounting for promotion bonuses, would place them 11^th in the PL last season, above Crystal Palace & Brighton. How well would those two sides fare in the Championship?

So why Maresca then? The Pep/Arteta playing style comparisons included, it does seem like there is a convenient overlap between the best performers of his Leicester side and signings made by the Sporting Directors at Chelsea that have struggled to live up to expectations. Harry Winks, Leicester’s metronome, a midfielder lacking elite athleticism but compensating with on-ball value, managed 94.6 touches a game for Maresca, the kind of influence that would delight his Argentinian namesake with the same issues.

Another key feature is that width is provided by Leicester’s wingers – the young duo of Abdul Fatawu Issahaku and Stephy Mavdidi both thrived as they were afforded constant 1v1 opportunities against opposition fullbacks and centerbacks. Mavdidi managed 12 goals, 6 assists, while 19-year-old Issahaku bagged 6 goals, 13 assists in his first full senior season. Those numbers for Mudryk and Madueke would certainly enhance his job security immensely.

The New Blueprint?

But even then, more questions arise. In a 4-3-3 with wingers holding width, where do you play Christopher Nkunku, who is neither an 8 nor a 1v1 wide threat? If one fullback inverts into the middle next to a pivot as the other goes further up, how does a 200m pivot bought to play together function? If the right-back inverts, and a left-back is required to slot in as an extra CB, will he prefer Cucurella, Chilwell or Colwill?

Those questions are not impossible to answer. The problem is that his predecessor found solutions to two of those – keeping Caicedo deeper and moving Enzo to 10 and using Colwill as a LB/LCB hybrid, but was bombarded with abuse from fans. Some other novel solutions exist to these issues too, but a manager happy to use players in their secondary positions for the better of the team might receive flak from fans, or worse, the player himself.

I promise this article was not originally meant to be a doomsday prophecy. The intent is not to say he’s the wrong pick, but to highlight where he needs to be better prepared. Maresca comes off as a purist, one that believes there is a way to play that is sacrosanct. This is a manager who has openly said he hates counter-attacks. The unwillingness to change/adapt is an allegation levelled quite frequently at the 44-year-old Italian manager, one that he will have to rapidly let go off to get the best out of his young squad and thrive in the PL. If an epiphany nudges him into devising a new system, preferably before the season starts, he might just surprise all of us.

Not All is Grim

Of all the glowing endorsements of Maresca’s pedigree – his Coverciano thesis on the parallels between chess and football strategy, praise of his playing credentials from a close Italian friend from his days in the Milan academy by the name of Roberto De Zerbi – the most important one comes from a not-so-glamorous name.

Robert Snodgrass, who played under Maresca during the latter’s time as an assistant manager to Manuel Pellegrini at West Ham said, “Up until then, in my career, I’d been used to the man-management style, coaches who got the best out of you by motivating — Steve Bruce, Gordon Strachan, Sam Allardyce. Enzo introduced me to the idea of being managed tactically, of a coach getting the best out of you by educating you and teaching you.”

This is a move in terms of risk/reward that would rank close to Arsenal keeping faith in Arteta for his first full season (they finished 8^th.) A possession structure that prioritizes stability, gifts Chelsea’s pivots more influence on the ball, a manager who is praised by his players for improving them individually from a tactical standpoint would be a strong start, but a lot of time will be needed to build from there. A five-year contract is a resounding show of faith; early transfer murmurs of a left winger in Crysensio Summerville and a goalkeeper in Villarreal’s Filip Jörgensen indicate that the SDs are aware of what Maresca needs to succeed. The last game of preseason, against Real Madrid on the 5^th of August, will be the first litmus test. A challenge as tough as Pochettino’s last season awaits our new Italian maestro. He will need all the support he can get.