Enzo Maresca urged the Chelsea fans not to break the goalkeeper under the fire Robert Sanchez if he starts against West Ham on Monday.
Sanchez made mistakes in his last two appearances – he was at fault for the goal of Wolves at Stamford Bridge on January 20 and Erling Haaland, the second in 3-1 defeat in Manchester City last Saturday.
And while Maresca admitted that he had not yet decided to stick to Sanchez, or to turn instead to save Filip Jorgensen, he said it was important that fans supported anyone who had obtained the head sign.
He said, “The only thing I can say is that we need fans. We need it, players need it. Understanding that sometimes, for various reasons, they cannot be satisfied with players or manager in general. But that’s for sure, we need their support because they have to trust our management.
“If I see something I don’t like, I’m the first one that doesn’t accept that. They can be happy in terms of which they [the players] Try to work every day, the way they try to kiss all the situations we have had this season. I am sure that in the end, we will be there to fight for something. »»
Focus apart on Monday evening. 👊 pic.twitter.com/b4hbdwk8na
– Chelsea FC (@Chelseafc) January 30, 2025
Maresca can try to protect Sanchez
Maresca hinted that if Sanchez was left out, it would be for her own good.
“Yes, sometimes it can happen,” he added. “Not only in the case of Robert. The other day, I read on [Gianluigi] Donnarumma, this season, he was still playing for Paris Saint-Germain, but for some games, Luis Enrique left him aside. Now he plays every game and is fine.
“Sometimes, that’s for sure, it can be a solution, but that does not mean that it is in the case of Robert.”
Potter’s return
Monday saw the return of Graham Potter to Stamford Bridge for the first time since he was dismissed by Chelsea in April 2023 after only seven months of responsibility.
The 49-year-old man took over at West Ham earlier this month and Maresca was impressed by what he saw.
He said, “They are very aggressive. I watched the four or five games with Graham in charge. You can see that they are trying to be very aggressive, even in the last match against Aston Villa.
“It will be a difficult game, as always. In terms of tactics, we have two days to prepare the game, so we will see. »»
