Maresca previews Chelsea - Bournemouth and transfer latest
13/01/2025
Cobham Training ground, Surrey, UK
13/01/2025
Cobham Training ground, Surrey, UK
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SportsTranscript
00:00Right, good morning. We shall take the usual format today, beginning with the live section
00:24and Gary Cottrell and Sky Sports News.
00:27Morning. Rich James and Romelu Lavia, they came through okay that 45 minutes, are they
00:35recovered okay and available to start if needed?
00:38Yes, yes, we are very happy for both. They played 45 minutes the other day and now they
00:44are available for next games.
00:46And they can complete the full 90 if you pick them to do so?
00:49Yes, they are available and as we said since we started we are going to try also to manage
00:55a little bit both because they are a bit, you know, delicate situation.
00:59Nomi Madiweki was taken ill, wasn't he, on Friday? How is he?
01:05He's back, he's back, he's training with us so he's 100% fit.
01:09You're not talking about transfer speculation, I know that, but in terms of outs, because
01:19we know you need someone to go out this winter, you've said so, is there any movement with
01:23Karni or Ben at the moment?
01:25No, we don't need, because we don't need players to go out, it's simply because probably they
01:34are players that they want to play more, so probably there is a chance for them to leave.
01:39Is there any movement, solid movement for either of them at the moment?
01:42No at the moment.
01:44With Ben, he obviously understands the situation, he's a very senior player here with a big pedigree here.
01:50How is he around the phase, has he accepted the situation, is he still working hard?
01:54He has been top, I have to say that he has been top, very professional, work hard and
02:00I said that I feel shame because of that situation, but in terms of behaviour he has been very good.
02:10Trevor Chalobar is obviously on loan at Crystal Palace, he didn't play in the FA Cup for what
02:18is described as a contractual issue, is that because Chelsea don't want him to be FA Cup tie?
02:25No idea, I didn't even know that he didn't play to be honest, I don't know.
02:33Well I've never got the ice cream if you don't know, so we'll leave that one there.
02:38I just want to ask about Renato Vega, apparently an agreement, if you believe what you read,
02:43has been breached with Borussia Dortmund's base services.
02:48Is he a player that if the price was right he would reluctantly consider letting go?
02:52At the moment I'm not aware that there is an agreement for Renato, the only thing I can say is
02:57that yesterday he was here with us working, today he will be here with us, so that means that at the moment
03:02it's our player, and then we'll see if something happens, but as I said it was yesterday's training
03:08and today he's here with us and I'm not aware that there is any agreement already with him.
03:14Because for you he's been very versatile, hasn't he, playing 3, 4, 5 different positions?
03:18Exactly, exactly.
03:19Apparently he wants to be seen playing regularly as a centre-back, is that something you can give him?
03:24The only thing I can say is that we bought Renato from Basel, arrived here,
03:30played in different positions, played well, and this allowed him to join the international team
03:37for the first time in his life, a senior international team.
03:40So probably even if he's not playing in his position, probably if the international team
03:50is also playing for the international team, probably means that in the position that he's playing,
03:56he can do well, and we are very proud for all our players that they can join the international team,
04:03but especially in this case for young players, 20, 21 years, that join Chelsea, join us,
04:10start to play in different positions, 4, 5 different positions, that gives him the chance to join the international team,
04:18so we are very proud about that.
04:20We're here to talk about Bournemouth, so let's do that.
04:24Obviously a win under your belt, a good win under your belt in the FA Cup,
04:28you could do with a win now, couldn't you offer a bit of a lead spell in the Premier League?
04:32Will that help you, I know you're good for players, will that help you kick on now in the Premier League
04:36and performance against Bournemouth?
04:39For sure win games always help to continue to win,
04:42hopefully since the other day win we can build some momentum,
04:48but Bournemouth will be a completely different game,
04:51they are a very good team with the same manager doing the same things from already different seasons,
04:58they are very tough, very intense, and the reason why they are doing well this season or last year
05:04is because they work, they work very good.
05:08Soraya?
05:10You just touched on it, Bournemouth are some of the best pressers in the league,
05:14they ranked first for Session 1 in the final third,
05:17we saw when you played them previously that your tight space players,
05:20Felix, Sancho and Kouki, they really helped get the win in that game,
05:24so what type of tactical battle do you expect this time round at home?
05:29More or less a similar one, in terms of they try always to be intense,
05:36it's quite clear what they do on the ball and off the ball,
05:39on the ball they are quite direct, they are a player at front very strong,
05:43physicality very strong, quick, and off the ball they are intense,
05:48they are most of the time in the opposite side man to man,
05:52so it will be a tough game.
05:55We know Cole Palmer's best position is a 10,
05:58we've also seen him last season produce fantastic output as a right wing inside forward,
06:03with an overlapping full-back.
06:04You already mentioned in Kouki, Cole, Felix, they are very similar,
06:08and getting that balance is hard,
06:10but is it ever a possibility to see Cole back out wide,
06:14or is that something you're not interested in?
06:16No, it could be, but you mentioned that with Cole playing wide,
06:22with full-back overlap, correct?
06:24But when the full-back overlap, Cole where he goes?
06:29Inside the pitch, at the end it's the same position,
06:32start inside the pitch,
06:33because I don't think that the full-back overlap outside of the pitch,
06:38so he needs to move inside with full-back overlap,
06:42and at the end it's the same position he uses with us,
06:44so it's just the starting position,
06:46then the ball moves, the game is dynamic,
06:48and Cole changes position.
06:50With that it could be an idea,
06:52he played I think the first game of the season against City,
06:54right in the wide, but with Malagusto overlapping,
06:58he finished in the pocket in the same position,
07:01but I prefer to see Cole inside.
07:04And Captain Reece, back in the squad to build fitness,
07:07we've seen him be quite varied under you,
07:09he's played left-wing back, right-back, right-centre-back,
07:13inverting, but we've seen some of his best performances in blue,
07:17when he overlaps as a right-back,
07:19now is this something you still want to utilise with Reece James,
07:23or is it the aim to manage his fitness,
07:26manage his hamstring and be a bit more adaptable,
07:28because it's physically taxing when he's bombing up the right,
07:30putting them crosses in?
07:32For sure, full-back,
07:34using it that way, up and down,
07:36probably for them physically you spend more energy,
07:39but I'm not a fan of full-back up and down,
07:42so our full-back like Malagusto, Reece James,
07:46Kukureja, the full-backs that we have,
07:50we don't use them up and down,
07:52probably the only one game that we played with the proper full-back
07:57was Palace 1, where we don't use full-back inverted for a reason,
08:02but I'm not a fan of full-back up and down.
08:06Just to touch on the different positions he's played,
08:08where do you think his best one is?
08:10I know he can play everywhere.
08:11Everywhere, he can play everywhere.
08:18He asked me about Renato playing in four or five different positions,
08:24Reece James doing the same, Kuku doing the same,
08:27most of the players doing the same.
08:29I said since we started, if you remember,
08:31that for me, talk about position,
08:34for me it's not today's football, you have to be a football player,
08:38and you can play in different positions.
08:40But just, OK, I'm full-back,
08:44I'm central defender, I'm midfielder,
08:46for me it's not...
08:48Now they are all football players,
08:50and you can teach them to play in different positions.
08:53John Southall.
08:55Hi. On going back to Renato Vega,
08:58have you spoken to him, or will you sit down and speak to him
09:01about what he wants, where his head is at,
09:05and try and persuade him to stay in the club?
09:08Yeah, I had a chat with Renato,
09:10and I said to him exactly the same thing I just said to you,
09:14in terms of playing in the position that he is playing with us,
09:20that give him the chance to join the international team,
09:23and also probably give him the chance to get speculation around him,
09:30so that means that clubs probably are looking for him,
09:33and clubs are looking for players that they are doing well,
09:36not they are doing bad,
09:38players that they are doing well with the club,
09:40they are doing well with the international team,
09:42and as I said, for me,
09:44if there is a player that just wants to play in one position,
09:49they are going to struggle, they have to adapt,
09:51they have to play in different positions,
09:53they have to learn to play in different positions,
09:55because it's a good thing for the team, and for the club.
09:59And how did he take that, because I presume he also wants to play next year as well?
10:05I said many times I also want long hair,
10:08but we have more than 20 players, 25 players,
10:12and they all want to play, but it's not possible.
10:16And on that front, obviously you haven't got a European football until March,
10:19so is keeping everybody happy becoming more of an issue?
10:25If we can, yes, but knowing that it's impossible,
10:28because the ones that they are not playing,
10:30they are not going to be happy,
10:32so our target is just to try to,
10:35first of all, to do the best for the club and for the team,
10:38that means try to win games,
10:40and then also if we can keep the players happy, we are happy,
10:44but it's not the reality,
10:46the players are happy just if they play,
10:48if they don't play, they are not happy.
10:50Is that why you might have to move some out in January,
10:53because players aren't really happy if they don't play?
10:57No, yeah, but if you want to move all the players that are not happy,
11:01we stay here with 12 players,
11:07our intention is not to move players.
11:11Ben Shaw obviously is different in that regard,
11:14and you say he's been a really good professional,
11:17and you feel the shame that he's got to go,
11:19so why hasn't it worked?
11:21What has happened that doesn't fit in here?
11:24No, first of all, because it's my choice,
11:28and the reason why I said probably,
11:31because I can see Malagusto or James or Kukure
11:37doing a different kind of job during the game,
11:40and I think Chilwell is a top full-back,
11:43probably doing that kind of job up and down,
11:46and giving him the opportunity in the past to win titles,
11:50to be with the international team,
11:53but I struggle to see Ben doing different kinds of things.
12:00Nicholas Jackson hasn't scored in almost a month,
12:05after such a good start to the season,
12:07and all the praise that he's got,
12:09is it difficult now to manage his expectations of himself,
12:13when he's still only 23?
12:15He's had a great spell, now a little bit of a lull,
12:18how do you keep his head up?
12:21Just continue to work in the way he's working.
12:26As you said, he scored many goals at the beginning of the season,
12:33now there are games that he's not scoring,
12:35but we are completely happy with Nicholas,
12:39we don't judge Nicholas just because of the goal,
12:42we judge Nicholas for different kinds of things,
12:45and as I said already, I spoke with Nicholas a few days ago,
12:50last year I think he scored 14-15 goals in the Premier League,
12:54without penalty,
12:56and Haaland, penalty, Salah, penalty,
13:01Paul Palmer, penalty,
13:02and if you score 14-15 goals in the Premier League,
13:05and you add 4-5 penalties, no more than that,
13:07at the end it's 20 goals in the striker,
13:11and this year he scored already 9-10,
13:13with 2-3 more penalties,
13:15it was already 13-14,
13:17so it's for Nicholas, he's doing well,
13:21he's scoring goals with us without penalty,
13:23that for a 9 is not normal,
13:25almost all the 9 in clubs shoot penalties,
13:29so we are completely happy with Nicholas,
13:31and he has to continue to work in the way he's working,
13:33and for sure he's going to score goals,
13:35also he's been a bit unlucky,
13:37because in all the games he didn't score,
13:39he had great chances to score,
13:41but sometimes you don't score,
13:43but he has to continue in the same way.
13:46As a player that was a defender,
13:48what sort of guidance did you give to an attacking player who stopped scoring?
13:55Say again, sorry?
13:58You were a defender when you played,
14:00so what advice and technical guidance
14:03are you able to give to an attacking player?
14:06I was attacking midfielder.
14:08Were you?
14:12No, anyway, it's just Nicholas,
14:14as I said, he has to continue to work,
14:16and for sure he's going to score goals.
14:19And we'll finish this section with Liam.
14:22Just to bring it back to Trevor,
14:24you didn't end up working with him for very long
14:26because of pre-season and then everything in the summer,
14:28so is he someone you'd be interested in working with
14:31if the club were to record?
14:33I said already in the last press conference,
14:35he's a Palace player,
14:37and I think it's a lack of respect to talk about,
14:40the reason why I think all the managers always say the same,
14:43it's a Palace player,
14:45because if I start to talk about Trev,
14:47probably for Oliver it's not respect,
14:49for Glasner it's not respect,
14:51if Oliver starts to talk about our players,
14:55it's not good for me,
14:57so this is the reason why,
14:59it's a Palace player,
15:01he was here with us,
15:03working pre-season very well,
15:05and then he left,
15:07now it's a Palace player.