Enzo Maresca insults fans’ intelligence once again with pathetic response to lineup question | OneFootball

We’ve just written a piece totally flabbergasted by Enzo Maresca’s team selection for tonight’s game against Legia Warsaw, and we concluded by saying that we couldn’t wait until the post-match press conference where we could hear him try to explain it.

Well we haven’t had to wait that long – predictably, it was the question that TNT Sport most wanted to know the answer to in the flash interview before kick off. Why on earth would he play such a strong team in the second leg of a tie his side are already winning 3-0, with a vastly more significant match to come on Sunday?

“As I said yesterday, we try to prepare the game always in the best way with the ones we think are the right ones. Hopefully, we can have a good result and reach the semi-final,” Maresca told the cameras.

A total non-answer then, as usual. It ignores the obvious trade-off between picking a strong team today and keeping players fresh for Sunday. It actually insults the intelligence of all of us who want to hear the reasoning behind the decision by just brushing off the question.

“We try to prepare the game always in the best way”? Well how about your preparation for the game on Sunday my friend? Is the best preparation for that using a chunk of your first XI when you don’t need to?

Maresca leaves fans with only one choice

Enzo Maresca on the touchline. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

All we have to do tonight is avoid losing 3-0. We could likely have done that with a C team. If the coach wants to try something different then we’re sure he has his reasons – but he owes it to us to actually explain them. Otherwise he leaves us no choice but to assume he’s making a huge mistake.