Enzo Maresca has urged Chelsea fans to trust that the club is heading in the right direction under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, following Tuesday night’s protests against the ownership.
A group of around 200 supporters voiced noisy disapproval at BlueCo’s stewardship ahead of the Chelsea’s 4-0 victory over Southampton at Stamford Bridge.
Many chanted the name of former owner Roman Abramovich, while there were prolonged choruses of “We want our Chelsea back” and banners criticising Boehly’s involvement in the Vivid Seats ticketing site.
The Blues had gone into Tuesday’s game on a dismal run of just nine points in ten Premier League matches, but their comprehensive victory moves them back into the top-four, at least until Newcastle and Manchester City play on Wednesday night.
“First of all I was focused on the game so I didn’t know about the outside,” Maresca said. “Then, the only thing I can say is that in this moment the fans have to trust us because we are in the right process and the right direction.
“I said many times that since we started we have been top-four for most of the season. That means we’re in the right direction, the club is in the right direction. And especially I think they have to trust the players because they’re doing a huge effort every day to bring this club where they have to be, which is in the Champions League.”
Meanwhile, Maresca backed Cole Palmer to shrug off his ongoing goal drought, after the Englishman missed a host of chances in the thrashing of the relegation-threatened Saints.
Palmer has now gone six league games without a goal in what is his first significant dip in form since signing for the Blues more than 18 months ago.
“Cole Palmer, I will say once again, he’s a human being,” Maresca said. “All the human beings, all the big players, all the normal players, all the big clubs, big managers, we all go through a bad moment, or moments where we struggle to score.
“In this moment, Cole struggles to score or struggles to do the right thing, but he’s happy, he knows exactly that it’s something normal. He’s also lucky because Cole, even if he’s young, he shares time in a big club with the big players, and he knows that all the big players, they go through moments like this.
“It’s how you react, and he’s reacting perfect. He’s laughing, he’s happy, he has to enjoy football, and for sure, we don’t have any doubt, he’s going to score more goals.”
