"We're in the right direction" - Enzo Maresca sends message to Chelsea fans after protests outside Stamford Bridge on Tuesday

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has urged the fans to keep their faith in the club after protests were held outside Stamford Bridge. Prior to the Blues' 4-0 Premier League win over Everton on Tuesday (February 25), around 200 supporters gathered outside the venue, showing support to former owner Roman Abramovich.

Todd Boehly-led Clearlake Capital has not been able to win over Chelsea fans since their takeover of the club in 2022. The Blues have spent heavily since the new owners came in but things have not gone well for the club on the pitch.

Roman Abramovich owned the west London giants for 19 years and the Blues became an English and European powerhouse under him. The Russian had a strong bond with the club and the fans, which remains to date.

After the fans showed their displeasure with the current owners, manager Enzo Maresca urged them to trust the process. He insisted that the Blues were headed in the "right direction." The Italian manager said (as quoted by Tribal Football):

“First of all, I was focused on the game, so I didn’t know about the outside. 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."

Maresca added:

“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."

The Chelsea boss added:

“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.”

Chelsea enjoyed a pretty solid first half of the season and looked like potential title challengers alongside Liverpool and Arsenal. However, their form has fallen off drastically, as they now sit 18 points behind league leaders Liverpool. Maresca's side have lost three of their last five league games but returned to winning ways with an impressive 4-0 win on Tuesday.

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Enzo Marecsa opens up on Chelsea star following emphatic 4-0 win against Southampton

Enzo Marecsa has shared his delight at Christopher Nkunku following Chelsea's 4-0 win against Southampton in the league. The Blues registered a much-needed victory on Tuesday (February 25), beating the Saints 4-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Nkunku opened the scoring for the Blues while Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella scored the other three goals. Following the game, Maresca said he was happy with Nkunku's showing and urged him to keep up the good work. He told TNT Sports (via Metro):

"I'm happy with him, I know that he can give more. We expect more from him. At the same time, we try to understand him in terms of he is not a nine. Many games, he plays as a nine."

The Chelsea manager added:

"He's not a winger and tonight, he played as a winger. He's an attacking midfielder. The problem is that sometimes to find balance... we already used Cole Palmer there so, we try to use him in different positions."

Nkunku has been an underwhelming signing for Chelsea, with the Frenchman yet to justify his reported £52 million price tag. He has missed 48 games with injuries since his move to Stamford Bridge in July 2023 and has not been able to establish himself as a regular.

The France international has so far scored 17 times in 48 appearances while providing five assists. He has featured mostly from the bench and has been used more often in league games and the UEFA Europa Conference League.