Enzo Maresca

I think it's easy to forget that Enzo was actually doing pretty well at Chelsea, it's easy to say he spent a lot of money but he's pretty much said himself that he didn't have much of a say in the signings. He clearly had good players given to him, but if they're not players he wants for the way he wants to play, it's not ideal (no manager really gets ideal, i guess) but that's where City have always been different in Pep's era. Sign players that the manager needs, don't sign and then expect the manager to just make it work. Having said ALL of that, it's pretty clear some of the signings were def on his suggestion and the one that comes to mind for me is Dewsbury-Hall, just simply not a Chelsea level signing and that worries the fuck outta me.
 
ancoats said:
I think City will act quickly in naming the new manager. It could be by tomorrow or before Friday
If it's Maresca, then we all have to back the board's choice and get right behind him

One thing I hope is that we sort out the full-backs and get proper full-backs and build a solid back 4 or 5
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Couldn't agree more
O'Reilly had a great season but is far too one footed and doesn't have sufficient recovery pace to play at Left Back
Nunes has done okay at Right Back but we need a specialist with him as cover.
 
ONTHERUNWITHTHAKSIN said:
I will give Maresca my full support and he knows the club well as will most blues

Just an underwhelming appointment but then most would be after having the greatest manager the game as seen

Good luck Enzo
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You're right about anyone being underwhelming after Pep.

There are zero truly stand out managers out there at the moment. Just a few bubbling to the top.

I would put Maresca, on evidence at both Leicester and Chelsea, as a bubbling to the top manager. Chelsea finished only 2 points behind us in his only full season in charge, and had them 5th when he left. Whilst it was a transition year etc etc, what he did to get that basket case of a club to success was a phenomenal achievement.

And you only have to glance at Leicester to see the miracles he worked there.

I'm cautiously excited. Or as excited as I can be after Pep has gone.
 
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If we just take our last two seasons in isolation since the rebuild started Maresca really doesn't have that tall a task to improve on that. 3rd and 2nd respectively in the league. Two domestic cups over the two seasons. Knocked out in play off in Champions League in first year followed by a round of 16 exit this year.

The Champions League I feel is where he has the biggest scope to improve on next season. We've been very poor these last two seasons in that competition. I think a good showing in that will gain him some brownie points with the fans.
 
GazM said:
Would have liked to see Iraola given a shot ( Enrique, Kompany off-limits for the time being) but the club have been conservative in their appointment. I wish him all the best. Maybe he could get a hair transplant to stop all the Temu Pep references ?
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I think Enrique and Kompany are the obvious dream picks. However, I’d be more confident in Moresca than someone like Iraola.

Him being here in the treble season, already knowing some of the players and staff - give me that over a risky external choice.
 
I had heard it was Khaldoon who was the key person for Fodens new contract, maybe both Pep & Maresca have pushed for it also?
 
Blue Smarties said:
I think Enrique and Kompany are the obvious dream picks. However, I’d be more confident in Moresca than someone like Iraola.

Him being here in the treble season, already knowing some of the players and staff - give me that over a risky external choice.
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You're probably right. I just like the way Bournemouth play & the club have likely made the correct decision in all fairness.
 
I want him to turn up for his first press conference in a Pep mask and any time a journalist mentions pep, he puts the mask on to answer.
 
Maresca won two trophies and comfortably finished 4th with Chelsea, qualifying them for the Champions League for the first time in three seasons. At the time of his departure Chelsea were 5th - 3 points off 4th.

They just finished 10th.

2022-23 12th 44 pts
2023-24 6th 63 pts <<< Pochettino
2024-25 4th 69 pts <<< Maresca
2025-26 10th 52 pts

He did build off a relatively successful year from Pochettino (who I would stress is also a pretty good manager) but when you look at it like that, it does make Chelsea seem like a naturally mid-table team that he took to the Champions League and two cup wins.
 
Makes sense to announce the new manager first and then any player extensions, even if the latter are already concluded. Announcing in that order consolidates Maresca’s position and presents a unified front to the world.
 
shevtheblue said:
I think it's easy to forget that Enzo was actually doing pretty well at Chelsea, it's easy to say he spent a lot of money but he's pretty much said himself that he didn't have much of a say in the signings. He clearly had good players given to him, but if they're not players he wants for the way he wants to play, it's not ideal (no manager really gets ideal, i guess) but that's where City have always been different in Pep's era. Sign players that the manager needs, don't sign and then expect the manager to just make it work. Having said ALL of that, it's pretty clear some of the signings were def on his suggestion and the one that comes to mind for me is Dewsbury-Hall, just simply not a Chelsea level signing and that worries the fuck outta me.
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Speaking to two young Chelsea fans about Maresca walking to Wembley station post game - good to have a proper football chat and not this partisan b*llocks all the time. One lad raved about him, his style, the other really liked his character, not taking the sh*t from above, always challenging the owners and his paymaster - for the good of the club...that bodes well i think, not a roll over type
 
SkyBlueFlux said:
Maresca won two trophies and comfortably finished 4th with Chelsea, qualifying them for the Champions League for the first time in three seasons. At the time of his departure Chelsea were 5th - 3 points off 4th.

They just finished 10th.

2022-23 12th 44 pts
2023-24 6th 63 pts <<< Pochettino
2024-25 4th 69 pts <<< Maresca
2025-26 10th 52 pts

He did build off a relatively successful year from Pochettino (who I would stress is also a pretty good manager) but when you look at it like that, it does make Chelsea seem like a naturally mid-table team that he took to the Champions League and two cup wins.
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Chelsea started to recover under Maresca and won trophies, then came the reported approaches from City, and that was the end of Maresca at Chelsea.

Maresca would be an unusual appointment for a club like City, due to a thin CV, but City have seen Maresca work at close quarters. Pep got his first senior job in management at Barcelona due to his work in their youth setup.
 
ninjamonkey said:
Would love to know what he would have to do to be better than just okay? Who's the specialist that has had a better season than him to relegate him to cover?
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I can't think of one that would be worth shelling out for but in some people's heads he'll always be a stop gap because he was converted to the role. Which pretty much ignores one of the key things Pep brought (past tense, weeps) to us which was successfully converting players into something they weren't before.

Given the other areas of far greater priority, I'd have thought the sensible thing to do is bring in a promising backup who can be developed to compete with him.
 
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