Journalist says there's something 'people don't realise' about Enzo Maresca in Chelsea training
Today at 12:15 PM
Enzo Maresca is winning people over at Chelsea after a strong start to this season.
After two years' worth of underwhelming performances under Mauricio Pochettino and Graham Potter, Chelsea are finally getting back to where they belong as they sit third in the Premier League.
| Position | Team | PlayedMP | WonW | DrawnD | LostL | ForGF | AgainstGA | DiffGD | PointsPts |
| 1 | LiverpoolLiverpool | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 28 |
| 2 | Man CityManchester City | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 23 |
| 3 | ChelseaChelsea | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 19 |
| 4 | ArsenalArsenal | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 19 |
Maresca is earning a reputation as being a top tactician, and the Chelsea players really like Maresca.
Speaking on the London is Blue Podcast, Ben Jacobs has been discussing Maresca's start to life at Chelsea and his perception at Stamford Bridge.
The journalist says that Maresca is actually a very funny individual who likes to have a real joke with his players, and that's something people don't necessarily realise.
Enzo Maresca is humorous
Jacobs shared what he knows about Maresca and his personality around Cobham.
According to the journalist, Maresca is often having a laugh with his players, cultivating a brilliant blend of calmness, humour and authority.
"He's very hands on at Cobham on the training field, he's kicking balls, he's taking ice baths with them, he's having banter with them," Jacobs said.
"People don't realise that because when you become a manager you become a bit of a schoolteacher, but when he was at West Brom he was the joker and the prankster.
"People don't realise there's that softer side and there's that humour, he's managed to find that balance of calmness and authority, but also engage with his squad on a human level."
Three Chelsea players are unhappy
Maresca seems to have a great rapport with his squad, but you need more than a good personality and sense of humour to keep a team this bloated happy.
Unfortunately, Chelsea have a huge squad, and rotating this squad is no easy task.
Three Chelsea players are said to be unhappy at the moment, Christopher Nkunku, Enzo Fernandez and Benoit Badiashille.
Of course, these behind-the-scenes issues don't appear to be manifesting themselves into Chelsea's on-field performances at the moment, but, things can change quickly if big name players start kicking up a bit of a fuss behind the scenes.
Maresca has had a great start to life at Chelsea, but further challenges in terms of squad management and team rotation are on the horizon.
