Chelsea fans will hate the reason Maresca was “screaming at” his players in dire first half at Nottingham Forest | OneFootball

Chelsea have just reached the end of their extremely tense (and extremely dull) first half against Nottingham Forest. There were no shots on target.

Both teams need a win to get into the Champions League, but neither is willing to risk conceding either. It’s been super cagey, and even when the Blues have had the chance to break, their manager was urging them to slow down.

Maresca “screaming” at players to slow attacks down

Enzo Maresca arrives at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

A fan in the stadium noticed the coach “screaming at everyone to slow down, despite us only being at walking pace.”

The same was visible on TV, with the former Leicester coach waving his arms manically to stop players attacking quickly after a turnover. Given Forest were doing the same thing, it led to a dire 45 minutes of football.

We can see what the idea is – keep it close until the final 20 minutes then try to win it. But it’s a hugely risky tactic, given we could easily concede and then be in real trouble. It’s literally the opposite of what fans will want him to be saying.

The City Ground is not an easy place to go, especially in this context, but we still wanted to see a little more from our team. Hopefully the manager lets them off the leash a little in the second period.

Maresca’s possession style sets him on collision course with Chelsea fans

Maresca’s style of football has been a sticking point all season. He insists he will never change it, and we can’t see the supporters ever growing to like it. As long as results are ok, there’s no issue. But it’s a problem simmering below the surface that will erupt every time there’s a run of defeats and draws.