Jamie Carragher has expressed skepticism regarding Enzo Maresca’s ability to remain Chelsea’s manager throughout the upcoming season, stating he would be “very surprised” if that were to happen.
Maresca, who signed a five-year contract with Chelsea earlier this summer after the club paid Leicester approximately £9 million for his services, led Leicester to a Championship title last season.
The Chelsea ownership sees potential in Maresca, hoping he can evolve into one of the Premier League’s top managers, similar to Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, with both having honed their skills under Pep Guardiola’s guidance.
However, Maresca’s pre-season has not gone smoothly, with his team allowing 12 goals in five matches during their tour of the United States.
Although the outcome of friendly matches often has little impact on the regular season, Maresca has acknowledged the challenge of shifting players away from the defensive strategies they adopted under former manager Mauricio Pochettino.
In a post-match interview following a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid, Maresca said, “In one of my initial meetings with the squad, we discussed the number of goals conceded last year due to our high defensive line. This is an area we are actively trying to improve.”
Carragher, who previously criticized Chelsea’s decision to part ways with Pochettino after just one season, shared his thoughts during an appearance on Sky Sports’ The Overlap. He remarked on Chelsea’s pre-season difficulties, particularly with their opening match against Manchester City approaching, saying, “Given how Chelsea’s pre-season has unfolded… I would be very surprised if Maresca is still at the helm come the season’s end.”
Furthermore, Carragher expressed concern regarding Cole Palmer, who thrived under Pochettino last season. He speculated that Maresca might not be able to maximize Palmer’s potential in the same way, even though the new manager has prior experience working with him in Manchester City’s youth setup.
“My concern for Chelsea is that Pochettino deserves significant credit for Palmer’s performances last season. Nobody anticipated his impact—not even Pep, or else he wouldn’t have let him go. So there’s a chance they might not see the same Cole Palmer this season. I believe he’s a fantastic player, but with a new manager, things can change.”
