“Chelsea ain’t Leicester”: One last look at the Enzo era as Maresca moves on
Scanning the fan forums of our metropolitan cousins at Chelsea last week for comments about their capture of Enzo Maresca and six (!) of his staff, it quickly became obvious the overall reaction was that he would fail, and fail soon.
Allowing for the cynicism built into the average fan, this was hardly a warm and optimistic welcome. But, for quite contrasting reasons, it tended to chime with thinking here. Just how good was Enzo here?
In the arid absence of comment from our executive, it seemed his primary task was to galvanise the club and lay the foundations of a more positive future.
It also became clear in the ensuing months that if his CV was light in that area of experience then reports and comments suggested that in the coaching side of his contract we had among us a man of quite rare talent.
Players purred about his ability to improve them individually and collectively.
His dedication to Pepology was a culture shock but, allied to promising early results, won them over without exception. Names seemingly marooned in the Rodgers gulag emerged as integral parts of the new set up. And others made good in areas of the pitch previously rarely visited.
Enzo backed lads from Seagrave’s junior ranks, drawing on his previous period as head of the table-topping Manchester City Academy side. So all was well. Enzo was playing to his strengths and this combination of player improvement and inspired recruitment, combined with hitherto unseen levels of match preparation, contributed to an innovative (to the Championship) tactical style reaping the points.
Just a few months saw the negative Rodgers atmosphere banished and replaced with smiles on the pitch and off it.
Until February 17th. And three successive defeats in two weeks. Enzo shrugged and smiled. For a time. But fans began to question the style of play, many still relishing the sparse possession and rapid transition of the days of Vardy’s pomp. Had we been sussed?
Others were more relaxed. Every team blips, they assured us. But then came the week of Millwall and Plymouth. Now the ‘blip’ was six defeats from ten and our precious points comfort zone was eroding alarmingly. As tension erupted into open criticism, Enzo reacted with irritation and publicly stood by his method. But other managers, already having witnessed us, began to counter us more intelligently.
With hindsight, in this spell we were witnessing Enzo the manager, the least strong area of his CV.
Fortunately, his more experienced players, having been through this sort of thing, saw it for what it was, a collective psychological issue. Cue a shop floor meeting at which, as quoted, ‘things which needed saying, were said’.
Enzo got a little help from his friends and the ship was righted. And his managerial career was enhanced.
Where does this leave us with the Chelsea development? The answer lies in their reaction. Chelsea ain’t Leicester. Our recent fifth places were regarded here by some as failures. But they were actually the zeniths of overachievement. At Chelsea they really would have been failures.
Enzo’s impressive rapid turnaround here was largely due to improving a bunch of honest and receptive journeymen. In his new role, he will preach to some players who have been round the block at the highest level and their egos will be used to giving full expression. Calling player meetings to iron out problems will not be in their repertoire.
Enzo’s coaching will prove less of a factor as his players will presumably be more technically gifted and they will expect him to be also. His match skills will be matched against the best in the game. His renowned preparation will be tested but it is during matches and adjusting to the opposition where he will have to be a step up from his first full season with us, while being closely scrutinised by a notoriously impatient board.
Above all he will have to match the higher expectations which prevail at the highest level and quickly. Most Leicester City fans will wish him well, recognising that we learned more from him than he from us.
He has left an impressive legacy here which hopefully will survive the financial headwinds about to engulf us.
