Chelsea reporter notebook: Enzo Maresca impresses but will he get time as high line causes havoc?

Enzo Maresca couldn't hide a small smile when he heard the word 'patience'.

The coach of Chelsea acted as a translator, answering a question in Spanish by translating it into English before responding.

A reporter asked Maresca for his thoughts on Carlo Ancelotti's praise of his expertise and football philosophy.

The manager of Real Madrid identified Maresca as the ideal choice for Chelsea's youthful team and urged the club's owners to have patience with him.

Ancelotti is in a good position to talk about someone he has been acquainted with for 24 years; their connection began when he recruited Maresca from West Bromwich Albion for Juventus, and has only grown stronger since then.

The manager of Chelsea responded by stating that very few people in football have a better grasp of what it takes to succeed than Ancelotti. Therefore, if the 65-year-old advises Chelsea to be patient with Maresca, they should listen to him.

Do you think they will succeed? This is the question that keeps coming up as we closely observe Maresca attempting to transform the team from west London into a squad that dominates possession and eliminates any harmful practices.

He is remarkable; confident, commanding, willing to take risks, and has a great sense of humor.

He exudes a sense of assurance and composure that is a stark departure from the tumultuous state the club has experienced in the past few years.

Maresca falls into the group of coaches who are not the issue at Stamford Bridge, despite facing challenges during pre-season.

Real Madrid was able to outwit Chelsea in their latest match. Chelsea suffered heavy defeats against Celtic and Manchester City, and ended up drawing with Wrexham. Their only win on tour was against Club America.

While the results of the games during this early phase of adaptation may not be significant, what really matters is how mistakes are handled.

Chelsea needs to rethink their strategy of playing a high defensive line when not putting pressure on the opposing team. This vulnerability was highlighted during a conversation with Maresca in Charlotte, where he acknowledged addressing this issue with the team in their initial meeting.

They allow too many goals because their defensive line is positioned too high and lacks aggressiveness.

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Their actions are not based on orders, but rather on routine. Maresca desires for them to position themselves slightly further back so that Chelsea can have better command of the situation.

During the pre-season tour of the US, he has been trying different tactics and player combinations to find the right balance for Chelsea.

"We are experimenting with various tactics, such as having the right full-back move inside during one game, then the left full-back move inside in another. In our match against Manchester City, we had the left full-back playing in a more advanced position," he described.

We are experimenting with different player combinations, such as using Marc Guiu and Christopher Nkunku with the number nine position. We have also been playing with Tyrique George, a talented young player from our academy, as a winger. The club and I are on the same page and know what we still need to do before the transfer window closes.

This Sunday, August 18th, the game will start at 4:00pm. The match will officially kick off at 4:30pm. Join us for an exciting time!

Maresca chose to position Mykhailo Mudryk on the right side, although his preferred position is actually on the left. Even though Nicolas Jackson is typically seen as a striker, Maresca would not hesitate to use him as a winger if the situation called for it.

Maresca has been described as someone who focuses on finding solutions rather than dwelling on problems, and this approach has proven to be effective.

The tour hasn't been perfect; there have been too many matches, the weather has been uncomfortably humid, the playing conditions have not been suitable for top-level football, and travel has been getting in the way of completely preparing for matches.

Maresca refers to the time before and after the US trip as the "true pre-season." This includes the two weeks spent at Cobham before going to America and the 10 days of training before the Premier League starts.

Nevertheless, Maresca will return to a base with a significantly large squad, and when I asked him if he would prefer a smaller squad, it was clear that a lot of players would need to be cut.

Conor Gallagher is expected to join Atletico Madrid soon, while Samu Omorodion will be heading the other way.

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Aside from performing well in sales, Chelsea need their high-priced acquisitions to consistently perform: Mudryk, Nkunku, Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo...

The player from Ecuador, who was purchased for £115 million, has confessed that the high cost of his transfer affected his performance during the previous season.

Caicedo's self-confidence and faith in his skills wavered. It wasn't until the last four months of his first season at Chelsea that he began to feel like he fit in, with former manager Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching team supporting him during a difficult period.

"They were there for me when I didn't feel like myself," Caicedo explained, sharing how he asked for assistance because he wanted to demonstrate his skills and talent in football.

"They stayed by my side. I had a friend waiting outside the club who really helped me relieve some stress and anxiety."

There is a coach who works with Caicedo after each game and reviews his performance. The coach has told Caicedo that he is a talented player and has the ability to do well on the field as long as he plays responsibly. The coach has also encouraged Caicedo to believe in himself and trust in his abilities. He reminded Caicedo that Chelsea paid a lot for him because they see him as a great player.

Caicedo is sure that he will be able to showcase his best performance once again under Maresca's guidance. The coach is aiming to implement the same system that the midfielder excelled in during his time at Brighton.

"The coach expects me to perform just like I did before," Caicedo stated. "He wants me to demonstrate my skills, display strong leadership qualities, and prove to my teammates that I am the one in charge on the field. I am confident that I will excel under his guidance."

Can Caicedo show his best performance once more? Will Maresca have the opportunity to implement his ideas? Will we get a clearer picture of Chelsea’s plans for the future?

The pre-season has not provided much clarity for the team. It is now important to have patience.