Maresca debate: Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves disagree over manager of the season | OneFootball

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been involved in a manager of the season so far debate between former players Riod Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves.

Maresca has actually performed miracles at Chelsea so far this season, getting them to third spot in the league at the end of 2024. Not one single person expected this and if you go back to the predictions at the start of this season, most were even writing Chelsea off for a top four spot.

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They have never been title contenders in my opinion, as Maresca has continued to say. And they are currently over-performing in my view.

Liverpool are top though, and Hargreaves believes this has been enough to call Arne Slot the manager of the season so far. But Ferdinand disagrees.

Ferdinand backs Maresca

Slot vs Maresca

Speaking on his YouTube channel Rio Ferdinand Presents, the six-time Premier League winner argued in favour of Maresca, citing the Blues’ impressive turnaround from last season, where they finished a disappointing sixth place.

He said: ‘It’s not a big difference. I just think Maresca has come in and took a team from being a circus, a calamity…’

Hargreaves quickly interrupted Ferdinand to credit the Chelsea manager but provided a direct response, arguing that Liverpool’s domestic and European form speaks for itself.

‘He’s done unbelievable. But I’m saying if you’re top of the league, best team in the Champions League, it’s Arne. Not even a ,’ he said.

‘No, no, no, I think he’s great. But I’m saying the level of change within the clubs is very different. [Maresca] has closed that margin more,’ Ferdinand replied.

‘[Slot] has had a wonderfully settled ship. The ownership in Chelsea is so fragmented, it’s in the papers every other day.

‘[Slot] has had a new sporting director but it’s not unstable. It’s still a stable environment. There’s no noise. When Klopp was there, there was no noise.

‘I’m fighting Maresca’s corner. He’s had more fires to put out than probably half of the league. And he’s stomped them out.

‘It’s my show, my views,’ he added sarcastically.

‘Get Rio some water,’ laughed Hargreaves.