Enzo Maresca says teams are adapting to stop his tactics and “it’s so difficult” to cope

Enzo Maresca has some interesting quotes out tonight about his team and their difficulties facing teams who play with a back 5.

Sunderland were the latest team to get a result out of us, beating us 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Chelsea’s opposition adapt to Maresca’s game

Maresca looked for sympathy that teams were starting to take that approach because of how effective it is.

“Teams, probably because of what we achieved last season, teams have changed against us,” the manager said in quotes picked up by Bobby Vincent.

Sunderland, nine games in the Premier League, they never played with a back five from the start. Never.

“That’s why it’s so difficult. The plan for today, now, is this. In 10 minutes, we need to change the plan. So it’s different when we know that team, they are [always playing with a] back five, and we prepare with back five. And it’s completely different when a team is back four every time.”

He tells a similar story about Nottingham Forest doing the same thing to him.

It’s very interesting to read, but isn’t the conclusion simple? Don’t spend so much of your time preparing for one thing. Spend the time preparing a team to be adaptable and creative on its own account, to solve the problems posed by the opposition with creativity rather than pre-match instructions.

There’s a balance, of course, but great teams can figure out how to hurt an opposition for themselves if they’re given the chance. Managers have to accept they can’t control it all.

In other news…

Alejandro Garnacho scored Chelsea’s opening goal on Saturday, but did he do enough to continue as our starting left winger? The battle with Jamie Gittens continues.

Enzo Maresca had to back track in his recent comments about long throws, now insisting that he’s going to one day evolve to use them.