Enzo Maresca says it is “normal” that some Chelsea fans held doubts about his appointment last summer - but insists he never shared them, despite his lack of Premier League experience.
Maresca was something of a surprise choice as Mauricio Pochettino’s successor last summer, having just led Leicester City back into the top flight without ever having managed there himself.
However, the 44-year-old takes his Chelsea side to bottom club Southampton tomorrow in third-place with a third of the season gone, knowing they can climb to second by bettering Arsenal’s result at home to an improving Manchester United.
And, having so far exceeded all expectations, the Italian says neither self-belief nor his inexperience were ever of serious concern.
I am always worried because I try always until the end to do the right things. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in what I do
“Doubt myself? For sure, no,” he said. “Eddie Howe, when he started. He had experience? No. Pep [Guardiola], when he started at Barcelona. Experience? No. Mikel [Arteta], when he started at Arsenal. Experience? No.
“We all are in the same situation. When you start, you don’t have experience. You cannot go to the supermarket and buy experience. So, you need time. But it’s not only for me, it’s for all of us in different jobs.
“In terms of doubting myself? No. When we finish some games and [the media] ask me: ‘Are you worried about this or that?’ I am always worried because I try always until the end to do the right things. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in what I do.”
Many Chelsea fans were doubly upset last summer, first with the mutual decision to move on from Pochettino just as progress appeared to be being made and then the decision to bring in Maresca ahead of more proven names.
Sentiment, though, has quickly shifted and the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge improved markedly, with Maresca building a swift connection with a fanbase that never took entirely to Pochettino on account of his Tottenham past.
Still, Maresca insists he is taking nothing for granted, wary that the tide could turn quickly should results falter.
“They were normal [to have doubts],” Maresca added, on the six-month anniversary of his appointment. “They are still normal. In the moment we lose games, there will still be doubt. I know how it works.”
Despite their fine form, Maresca has repeatedly insisted his team are not yet ready to compete for the title and says he is not yet thinking about end of season targets, even with Champions League qualification now surely on Chelsea’s radar.
The fixture list over the festive period is inviting as the Blues look to cement their place in the top-four, though Maresca says he is prepared for the likelihood that his young squad will hit a slump at some stage.
"We want this momentum to continue, no doubt, but not because we are thinking of winning the Premier League,” he said. “We want to continue winning games and then we will see, but it’s not because we’re thinking about the end of the season.
“It’s difficult to continue the whole season in the way we are now. For sure, a different moment will come and we need to manage that and deal with that."
