Enzo's not happy

Enzo Maresca’s frustrations over the fan response to his style of play boiled over last night as he threatened to leave Leicester City if doubts over his philosophy intensify.
Maresca oversaw a 3-1 win for City over Swansea on Tuesday night, a result that puts them 10 points clear at the top of the Championship. They’re not only on course for promotion, but to eclipse the highest-ever points tally in English professional football, Reading’s 106 in 2006.
But still Maresca’s style of play has some detractors. There were smatterings of shouts to get the ball forward from the stands at the King Power Stadium, as well as a few groans when City went backwards to keep possession.



Since his arrival at City, Maresca has routinely appealed to supporters to get behind his team and create an atmosphere to help them earn big results, and he did so again before the clash with Swansea. But he suggested afterwards that some fans are taking for granted what his side are achieving.

“Probably the people, they think it’s easy to win games, but it’s not easy,” Maresca said in his post-match press conference. “I just want to remind that we have played 34 official games and we have won 26. That is a huge number and probably the people they think it’s easy to win games. But it’s not like this.
“You can feel the fans when they’re not happy. Probably some people they take some things for granted. But it’s not like this. Twenty-six wins out of 34. It’s something unbelievable. Probably when you win, win, win at home, and you continue to win, people think it’s easy. But it’s not easy.
“I arrive in this club to play with this idea. The moment there is some doubt about the idea, the day after, I will leave. It’s so clear. No doubts.
“We have won 26 of 34, a huge number. If people think it’s easy and take it for granted, it’s not like this. Huge respect for the players and the effort they are doing. Hopefully we can reach and give our fans the right joy at the end of the season.”
Most of the grumbles came in the latter stages of the first half, and Maresca did admit that his team lacked intensity on the ball in that period. He feels his players may have slacked a little after taking the lead so early, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scoring inside three minutes.
“In this moment, because we are in the last part of the season, the most important thing is to try to win games,” he said. “Probably the first goal after two minutes didn’t help the team in terms of we thought it was more easy. We dropped the intensity on the ball, not off the ball because we pressed very well, very high. Then second half it was a little bit better.
“Even if we drop a little bit the intensity on the ball in the first half, we still had two or three clear chances. I’m very happy because we are in the last part of the season and now it’s important to win games.”
 
At the end of the day if he doesn't want to be here that's his choice, is there a hint of throwing his toys out of the cot because of funds??? But blaming the fan's for having an opinion ' and let's face it its an awkward one considering our position in league . Very awkward and as usual nothing coming from the club.
 
When you're so much better than the opposition you can hardly expect edge of your seat thrilling games, look at Man City.
It's all about getting straight back to the PL this season.
I understand that some fans aren't happy because we're not winning 4-3 with a lst minute winner but moaning every time we pass the ball back to Mads just pisses off the manager and team by the sounds of it, personally I'd sooner keep him and I'm enjoying being top all season, heading for a record haul of points and having a huge goal difference.

I can reemmeber many seasons when it was boring because we played shit and expected to lose most games.
 
Swings and roundabouts, Enzo annoyed at fans critical of his style of play for some reason you can recognise them because of their sleeping bags and flasks.😉
 
What? said:
Another temperamental foreigner
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I'm with the temperamental foreigner, I might not have enjoyed last night so much (see another post) but I am genuinely baffled by a lot of the moaning. Frankly I put it down to too many old buggers who if they weren't moaning down the football would be busy at home moaning about their soup being too hot or too cold.
 
When the Leicester fans gave it to MON in that Sheffield United game back in the 90's, it was the best thing that could have happened.
The team were throwing away their chances of promotion and the fans discontent properly boiled over.
MON was clearly angered by that reaction and often reminded us of it during his tenure.
The one thing that was clear, was that it got a reaction. What MON said to the players we will never know, but it galvanised them and they went and won two crucial away games straight after the uproar.
It would be good if Enzo could take on board the criticism and use it in a positive way like MON did.
I know Claudio is king for doing the impossible, but I still would say in my time MON was the best manager we have had.
 
76% win rate currently in the league.

Some must've loved the way Swansea continuously lumped the ball forward last night to great effect.

Those moaning have to accept that this season is 'functional' & purely down to results. I can't imagine Top's remit to Enzo was caveated with "...and make sure the team are also playing in the way that makes the crowd purr".

Any talk of "this lot would get smashed in the PL" has to be put on hold until we've achieved this, because one would then hope that Enzo is the kind of forward-thinking manager to make the changes where necessary & adapt to a new league accordingly.

Just remember how shit you felt this time last season - where we are now feels significantly better.
 
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From FT and sums it up better than I could

Y'know what gets boring real quick? Watching your team put in zero effort and get turned over every other week, like we have for the past couple seasons.

Under Maresca we do have periods of games which are boring, but crucially its (usually) boring because we are controlling the ball, rather than because we're chasing shadows. And those periods are what allow us to wear other teams down (physically and mentally) and have those passages of play which cut opposition apart. There are very few games this season which have been 'boring' for the whole of the 90 minutes.

With better players, we'd be able to execute our plan even more effectively and start having more of those moments of intensity - similar to how Man City play. But right now we're in the Championship and whilst our squad is inarguably better than this level, we're still patching up gaps with players who aren't on par with where we eventually want to be. That's not a problem, and it's something we'll improve upon over time with investment (particularly when/if we secure promotion), but for now we need to take some of the rough with the smooth and get over ourselves as a fanbase. Someone like Vestergaard might execute that decisive forward pass 30% of the time rather than 50% of the time that a top PL CB might, but if that 20% in between he's playing safe by playing back to Mads and - crucially - not putting us under unnecessary threat, then that's what we should expect at Championship level.

If we were dropping points every week because of this style then sure, complain, but fact is we're still on pace for the greatest Championship points tally ever and we need to get behind Enzo before he walks away and we end up with a Rodgers Mk II.
 
Brauny said:
When the Leicester fans gave it to MON in that Sheffield United game back in the 90's, it was the best thing that could have happened.
The team were throwing away their chances of promotion and the fans discontent properly boiled over.
MON was clearly angered by that reaction and often reminded us of it during his tenure.
The one thing that was clear, was that it got a reaction. What MON said to the players we will never know, but it galvanised them and they went and won two crucial away games straight after the uproar.
It would be good if Enzo could take on board the criticism and use it in a positive way like MON did.
I know Claudio is king for doing the impossible, but I still would say in my time MON was the best manager we have had.
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I don't see the comparison at all. What is he supposed to take on board and use in a positive way?
 
We are trying to be economical with wins and promotion.
Avoiding injuries as much as we can.
No need to over-exert, when our team is better than the opposition, most of the time.
Nobody will remember how we played this season.
A win is a win.
The record books will just remember who was promoted...
 
There could also be a bit of unrest with the City board for not having the funds so he can buy players who will excite the crowds and also be able to survive in the Premier league.
 
For me the issue last night was the lack of purpose at times to get the second goal and kill the game off - something which we have failed to do recently and has cost us around 9 nine points from winning positions with 10 mins or less to play through December/January.

Swansea were there for the taking and the game should have been out of sight by half-time. There was then too much passing around the back with no purpose. The press was regularly broken but then there was no attempt to play forwards and attack but rather stop, standstill and play backwards. We were one cock-up away from blowing the win and that got me frustrated.

Enzo admitted we were not clinical enough so I think he saw the issue. Just take the handbrake off, we are too good for this division.
 
You can please some of the people all of the time
You can please all of the people some of the time
But you cant please all of the people all of the time
 
The reason we won last night was because we got a dodgy penalty and Swansea were fucking about at the back, this needs to be kept in perspective.

Possession football and entertaining football need not be mutually exclusive but too much of either isn't the way forward.
 
Enzo here are the facts mate
You are managing a football club where one players wage per week is more than some teams entire
eleven per week
The football is dire to watch and ain’t entertaining
Better managers than you have tried this and lost their jobs ask Tottenham fans
The style is acceptable only if you win
Last night was horrific regarding entertainment against an awful Swansea back line
The last manager here to pop at the fans left not long after
You got an opportunity to get your managerial career off to a good start when taking this job
If you don’t like please exit left 😁
 
Anyway…… the loudest thing to be heard last night was a round of ‘Enzo’s blue army’
..not the moaners.
Why can’t he pick up on that with a spin of ‘Most of the fans love me here’
 
snootyfox said:
Anyway…… the loudest thing to be heard last night was a round of ‘Enzo’s blue army’
..not the moaners.
Why can’t he pick up on that with a spin of ‘Most of the fans love me here’
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Because theres a large percentage of current supporters I wouldn't piss on if they were on fire. I blame covid, everything's changed since.
 
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