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"In the last two years Chelsea has been in the top four zero times. This season we have been in the top four for most of the season.
"I think the fans have to trust us, the team and what the club is doing now because if in the last two seasons Chelsea was not in the top four and this season Chelsea was in the top four most of the year - that's big proof the team is improving and doing the right things.
"I am not able to do a different style."
Maybe try?
You'll struggle to find a better example of just how far beyond the ridiculous the era of unyielding 'football philosophy', one thankfully facing its long overdue reckoning, has gone than the utter nonsense spoken by Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca this week, who felt emboldened to go as far as making a public admission of his one-dimensional coaching style right at the peak of his first season as a top-flight manager complete unravelling.
Chelsea failed to beat all-but-relegated Ipswich at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and in fact came within a whisker of losing having trailed 2-0.
They are now sixth in the Premier League table with six games to play having won only five of their last 16 league matches after (surprise surprise) the other 19 managers in the top flight simply worked them out.
It has become something of a head-scratcher that so many coaches can be as blindly stubborn to reality, a philosophical hill Maresca appears willing to die on.
How is it that all these Pep Guardiola acolytes are unable to acknowledge that their great idol has been able to refuse to change his style because he always had the best players.
Guess what happened when he didn't?
But Maresca can be safe in the knowledge that on Thursdays at least, he will be able to bully his way to a tinpot triumph.
"We can reach a European semi-final, which, yes, it isn't the Champions League but it is still a European competition. It's quite clear the direction and style is the right one," he said.
It's barely a European competition.
The Conference League is evidence of nothing.
Chelsea fans are right to be panicking, the question is, are Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital feeling the same way?
The Blues' three most recent victories were over Southampton, Leicester and a struggling Spurs team.
Their run-in is by far the hardest of any top-half team.
They face a trip to impressive local rivals Fulham before resurgent Everton and champions-elect Liverpool visit west London.
An away game at seemingly unstoppable Newcastle, who have stormed up to third, then follows before they round off their home campaign by hosting Manchester United and their league season ends with a potentially high-stakes final-day trip to Nottingham Forest.
The noise around Ange Postecoglou, the helpless situation Ruud van Nistelrooy walked into at Leicester and the sheer lack of time left in the season has meant the bookies are willing to offer 25/1 for ENZO MARESCA TO BE THE NEXT MANAGER TO LEAVE.
For me, it is very much worth taking, and an angle I may return to even if Spurs are knocked out of the Europa League on Thursday night and Postecoglou is asked to pack his bags.
As things stand it's very hard to see Chelsea turning their form around and finishing in the top five, so ultimately the desperation of their billionaire owners to return to the top tier of European football is what we're chancing.
If they're happy enough with the Europa League, he's probably going to survive.
Until the summer anyway.
Odds correct at 1200 BST (17/4/25)
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