Joe Cole: Chelsea Manager is the Toughest Job in the Premier League; Fans Should be Patient with Maresca

Former Chelsea legend Joe Cole urges Chelsea fans to be “patient” with manager Enzo Maresca, as the job of a Chelsea manager is “the toughest job in the Premier League.”

Currently serving as a football advisor for TNT Sports, Joe Cole pointed out, “I think Maresca has taken on the most challenging job in the Premier League. The expectations from the fans, the expectations from the owner, and how they express these expectations… I think this is the most difficult for all Premier League managers. In addition, there are more than 40 players with professional contracts at Chelsea, which makes it incredibly difficult to manage. I urge Chelsea fans to be patient with him because the managerial changes have been too frequent over the years.”

During his time at Chelsea, even during the Abramovich era, Chelsea frequently changed managers. However, Joe Cole believes there is a difference: “The frequent managerial changes in recent years differ from the Abramovich era in that, during the Abramovich era, when managers came and went, Chelsea won trophies. But now it’s a transition period, and you need to find someone stable and give them time to do their work.”

Joe Cole also highlighted another difference, stating that back then, Chelsea had veteran players who could maintain stability within the team, but the situation is different now: “From the perspective of the players, if you are one of those excluded by the manager, you might want the manager to leave. As a result, Chelsea has dismissed Lampard, Potter, Tuchel… But as a manager, when you feel you cannot control the dressing room, you need senior players to help you. You need to find your Terry, your Lampard, your Drogba. I don’t know if Maresca can find such support. This is not a criticism of the current players, but I believe none of them have enough status and prestige within the club, and they may not even know what will happen six months down the line. There are too many players, he might leave, someone else might take his place, and no one feels secure…”

In summary, Joe Cole points out that many of Chelsea’s problems are not just about the level of the manager, and fans should give more support to Maresca.