Jackson’s absence exposes flaws in Chelsea and Maresca decision-making | Jacob Steinberg

There is a fear the manager is repeating his late-season wobble at Leicester; making light of Cup exits does not help

The good news for Enzo Maresca is that refusing to accept Chelsea were in the title race earlier this season looks impressively prescient. The bad news, though, is that foreseeing a dip is not the same as being able to stop it. The mood shifts in that situation. What is Maresca made of? Chelsea’s supporters are starting to wonder. Accusations of one-dimensional tactics are growing, and it was naive of Maresca to respond to Chelsea losing to Brighton in the FA Cup last weekend by suggesting it could help them focus on their Premier League and Conference League campaigns.

Communication has to be better after three wins in 10 games. Perhaps there was logic to Maresca’s comments – fewer distractions could aid Chelsea’s league form – but making them immediately after going out of a winnable competition felt unwise. Fans who had watched Chelsea fold against opponents reeling from a 7-0 defeat in their previous game were never going to react well to the their inexperienced head coach seeming relaxed about another shot at a trophy disappearing.

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