Enzo Maresca

Norbert D said:
City aren’t the City of yesteryear and Brian who? We pay top dollar for players, staff and have the countries best
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was talking with my son about some of the surprise appointments over the years and how we had the capacity to shoot ourselves in the foot. Forgot about Horton who was actually a decent appointment at the time ( think we still went backwards but were entertaining). Replacing him with Ball after the excitement of forward with Franny on the other hand……..,
 
Just out of curiosity I asked Chat PT to summarise his playing approaches at both Leicester and Chelsea. Think we might be getting Pep's clone.

Compared with his Championship-winning Leicester side, the underlying philosophy remained very similar, but Chelsea's version relied even more on sophisticated positional rotations, inverted full-backs, and a 3-2-5 attacking structure against stronger Premier League opposition.

Enzo Maresca's Chelsea played a possession-based, positional style focused on controlling games through structured build-up and intelligent positioning.

Key traits:
  • Possession-dominant
  • Patient build-up from the back
  • 3-2-5 shape in possession
  • Inverted full-backs moving into midfield
  • High pressing and counter-pressing
  • Positional rotations and overloads
  • Control before penetration
Strengths: Control, organisation, chance creation, ball retention.

Weaknesses: Sometimes slow, predictable, and vulnerable to counterattacks.

In 10 words:
Structured, patient, possession-based football with pressing, control, and positioning.
 
citymad said:
Just out of curiosity I asked Chat PT to summarise his playing approaches at both Leicester and Chelsea. Think we might be getting Pep's clone.

Compared with his Championship-winning Leicester side, the underlying philosophy remained very similar, but Chelsea's version relied even more on sophisticated positional rotations, inverted full-backs, and a 3-2-5 attacking structure against stronger Premier League opposition.

Enzo Maresca's Chelsea played a possession-based, positional style focused on controlling games through structured build-up and intelligent positioning.

Key traits:
  • Possession-dominant
  • Patient build-up from the back
  • 3-2-5 shape in possession
  • Inverted full-backs moving into midfield
  • High pressing and counter-pressing
  • Positional rotations and overloads
  • Control before penetration
Strengths: Control, organisation, chance creation, ball retention.

Weaknesses: Sometimes slow, predictable, and vulnerable to counterattacks.

In 10 words:
Structured, patient, possession-based football with pressing, control, and positioning.
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Love a bit of control before penetration.
 
All well and good playing similar style to Pep but will that get the best out of the Haaland? Having said that we always seem to make him the highest prem league goalscorer.

The weakness's are uncanny: Sometimes slow, predictable, and vulnerable to counterattacks.

Hopefully less so next season.
 
JRockBlues said:
Is Big Willy coming back with Maresca seeing as he was his assistant at Chelsea? Is Kolo staying? Big questions still to be answered.
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Sounds like Willy is indeed coming back and they should get Kolo to stay as well anyway as he seems really popular with the group?
 
InMyLifetime-BaconChops said:
Like, how many Arsenal players would you take over any City players - 3/4 max?

.
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The difference is Arteta got them playing a style that worked and suited the players

Even though we ran them close for a while, i think we ultimately lost out because some of our new crop of players aren't technically gifted enough to carry out Pep's style. We became massively susceptible to counters, simply based on the fact we couldn't keep the ball like we once could. Our style of passing up the pitch slowly leaves a lot of players forward, even defenders playing in their final third. It's fine if your team has so much ability that you almost never lose the ball but we don't quite have that now, so we put ourselves in trouble.

That's why I hope the new manager looks at the players and understands we need to play quicker and more direct.

None of this "the man city way" like the rags spout about their club. I don't want the new manager thinking he has to do what Pep did. I want him to implement his own style and utilise these players to suit their best attributes.
 
Mareca is Pep-lite but lacks Pep inventiveness

Yes Pep's style is often underlined by similar principles but he changes the formation to get best

433 to 4231 to his 3241 then to a 4222 etc.

Same idea, control and possession but implemented differently

Maresca formation doesn’t change, if its not working its the players fault not the system

Not enthused about this before, but hopefully hes better with game management and rotation then Pep was, Pep loved running players into the ground
 
oldius said:
Competing for four trophies until the end every season will take its toll, especially with a small squad.
I think that set pieces may come under a lot of scrutiny next season and the perceived advantage that some clubs have may be reduced.

In terms of continuity, Maresca has a lot going for him. He knows the club and players and he understands the tactical principles that underpin what we do.
I would not be surprised if a former player also comes in which would potentially assist that process - Fernandinho or Gundogan spring immediately to mind - especially with the news that Lijnders wishes to move on.
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I've always had this feeling inside that Gundogan will one day manage us. There's something about that man that screams TOP MANAGER! Either that or he gets a part time job delivering for Tescos.
 
According to the athletic, Maresca has been preparing for bext season by absorning all the knowledge he can, speaking to former Basketball and Volleyball winning coaches, and reading books on chess and flower pressing.

Another overthinker, eh!
 
Bloke managed a 60% win rate at Chelsea when his immediate predecessor was at 51% and successor was 48%. I think that says a bit about him. If he's hitting at least 60-65% with us then he's doing his job and I think that's thoroughly attainable.
 
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handsofstone said:
Mareca is Pep-lite but lacks Pep inventiveness

Yes Pep's style is often underlined by similar principles but he changes the formation to get best

433 to 4231 to his 3241 then to a 4222 etc.

Same idea, control and possession but implemented differently

Maresca formation doesn’t change, if its not working its the players fault not the system

Not enthused about this before, but hopefully hes better with game management and rotation then Pep was, Pep loved running players into the ground
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That cost us a CL on more than one occasion, btw.

Love Pep, but sometimes he could be too clever for himself.
 
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