Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca reacts to their 3-0 UEFA Conference League quarter-final first leg win over Legia Warsaw
Legia Warsaw Municipal Stadium, Warsaw, Polan
Courtesy of UEFA
Legia Warsaw Municipal Stadium, Warsaw, Polan
Courtesy of UEFA
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00:00Hi Enzo. I suppose as a result goes, and in terms of not having to use all your key
00:29players on the bench as well, 3-0 first leg victory, it's as good as it gets, I think.
00:34Yeah, we planned the game to try to have our best players for this game and to give also
00:44a chance to the rest players to recover energy and at the end, yeah, I think it's been overall
00:52professional performance, good result, probably in the second half we were much better compared
00:59to the first half for different reasons. I said many times that we need to learn how
01:06to play different kinds of games. You know, when you face Tottenham, we said many times
01:12that they try to high pressing, there are more space, but when they sit back you have to be
01:15more quick on the ball, you have to try to have a shot from outside the box because they
01:23are all inside the box, so if you don't shoot it's difficult. And then the first goal I think
01:29came from Rhys' shot, you know, rebound, the player was there, the tie was there. So, yeah.
01:36And in terms of that first half, is it just a lack of tempo that was missing, really?
01:41Yeah, it's not easy because it happens every time. If you watch last night, I watched Aston
01:50Villa PSG and from television you see a lack of tempo. But it's because it's what it is,
01:57you have to try to find solutions, it's a different game and you have to learn. And I think we need
02:01to learn to play that kind of games against teams that they sit back, how you can learn.
02:08For sure you can be more quick on the ball, for sure you have to take some more risk when
02:13you arrive at the edge, you have to try to shot like we scored the first one. So, yeah.
02:19Hi Enzo, how pleased are you for Tyreek George to have a moment like that? He's had a few assists,
02:33he's been gaining in confidence in this competition and in the Cups, but you also shuffled the positions
02:38around a little bit at half-time, didn't you, and put him as the nine. How do you feel like he...
02:43I'm happy, first of all, for the Chelsea Academy, because he's one of our boys from the Academy,
02:51so very happy for him. He was quite good in the first half, take responsibility, second half
02:58in the middle probably was a bit better. But the one that I fall in love tonight is Josh
03:04because, for me, potentially he can be a fantastic player, top player for this club, for the football
03:12in general. And a good player shows you that can play in different positions and he can do good.
03:19He was full-back, good midfielder, good central defender, good. So it's not about, yeah, I play in that
03:26position, only in that position. If you are a good player, you can be in different positions. And tonight I fall in
03:32love with Josh because, to be honest, since we started, I'm in love with him, but tonight he's sure
03:38that he can be a very good player for this club.
03:41Do you see him that way for the long term where, situationally, you will move him around and ask
03:47different things of him?
03:48He can be good in different positions. And the best thing from Josh also is that he's open, he wants to learn.
03:58OK, full-back, yeah, yeah, no problem. What do I have to do? Perfect. Midfielder, what do I have to do?
04:03And this is a player that they are, good players. They want to play in all positions, they want to learn.
04:10And Josh is doing that since we started. We use him in the way we are using Malo Rees since we started,
04:16Kukureja, full-back inside, central defender inside. And he was very good tonight. Thank you.
04:24Question over here in the middle, please.
04:37Po polsku?
04:43Po polsku? Pytanie.
04:46Panie trenerze, serdeczne gratulacje, OK.
04:49Panie trenerze, serdeczne gratulacje z okazji zwycięstwa.
04:53But I have a question about the atmosphere and the atmosphere at Legii.
05:00What do you think about Legii and what do you think about Legii and what do you think about Legii and what do you think about Legii?
05:08Yeah, I expect the environment and the reason why I said yesterday in the press conference I watch different games, especially at home, and I know how is the environment, so I expect that.
05:24I also said to the players that it's a privilege to play these kind of games with this environment, but I think we deal quite well.
05:38Hi, Enzo. First of all, congrats for the result. Today we've seen Jorgensen on the goal, and my question is, right now Chelsea is rotating off the goalkeeper position,
05:57and do you plan to do the same thing in the future, let's say in the next season?
06:04In terms of keepers? Yes. No, I said already many times, our number one choice is Robert, but in some moment of the season he needs rest, so we decided to change with Filip.
06:23But now Robert is good, Filip is good, and hopefully we're going to continue in both competitions and they can share games.
06:32Hi, Enzo. Just a quick one on Cole Palmer. Was the plan always to take him off at half-time, or is there any kind of knock?
06:40Because there was a period in the game where it looked like he might be struggling a little bit.
06:43No, no, no. We planned for him and for Tosin, 45 minutes. So everything was planned.
06:50And just a word on Christopher and Kunku as well. Unfortunately he missed the penalty. What do you think he needs to do to really gain confidence and get going in the run-in for the season?
07:02The problem in this moment is lack of confidence, and the reason why is because he's missing goal or penalty like tonight.
07:09But the only way to deal with that is to work hard every day, because when you work hard, for sure the reward is important.
07:17The problem is when you stop to work. And the good thing about Christo is that he's working well every day.
07:23Okay, thanks everyone. Thank you.