Enzo Maresca has taken over from Mauricio Pochettino as Chelsea manager.
Chelsea confirmed on Monday that Enzo Maresca had joined the club on a five-year contract to replace Mauricio Pochettino in the dugout.
The 44-year-old has left Leicester City after just one season with the Foxes.
However, his sole campaign there was a very good one and shows what Chelsea fans can possibly expect from their team under Maresca.
Leicester City under Enzo Maresca
Leicester were able to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking under Maresca.
They won the Championship title with 97 points, taking them back to the top flight.
Critics will be quick to highlight the strength of Leicester’s squad, but Chelsea supporters should also look at some of the Foxes’ numbers before downplaying what the Italian achieved.
Their possession and ball recovery stats were good, which is encouraging for the Blues.
What could be one key trait of Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea?
Based on how his Leicester team played, Chelsea should be a side who are extremely effective at winning the ball high up the pitch.
According to WhoScored, the Foxes won possession in the attacking third more times (230) than any other team in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign.
The Blues should also be quite a dominant side, with Leicester recording the second-highest ball possession average in English football’s second division.
The above shows what kind of team Chelsea could become next season, but none of that will matter if they are not winning games.
Club owners want to see their team control games like Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and press high like Liverpool during the Jurgen Klopp era. But if that does not come with results, then those same owners, as well as supporters, are going to lose patience with the man in the dugout.
It is not an easy job for Maresca, but the Chelsea gig never is — just ask Pochettino or Graham Potter.
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