Within no time, Enzo Maresca has already started to impress courtesy of his smart tactics. One of the chapters in his book of tactics is how to use the substitutes efficiently. “Finishers”, a word introduced by the former English head coach, Gareth Southgate, for substitutes. He feels that these are the players who decide the end results of most of the games, as they can singlehandedly change the entire scorecard at the very last minute. So, the importance of these players shouldn’t be neglected, and Chelsea has exactly proven why.
Substitutions Do Make a Difference
Chelsea has already managed to make 4 g/a this season in the Premier League, and what makes it more impressive is that it is already one-third of what they could bag last season. The man behind this feat is Enzo Maresca; without him, it would not have been possible. One such example came in Chelsea’s recent match against Bournemouth, where Jadon Sancho and Christopher Nkunku, both substitutes, helped Chelsea to seal the deal, as they won the game 1-0.
The use of strong substitutes is actually paying off for Chelsea. This gives them the upper hand against their opponents, as they can manage to keep their line-up fresh even after the opponent is tired. They play with the same energy as the first minute of the match and eventually secure late victories. This strategy is what makes Chelsea different from other teams and maybe can lead them closer to the title.
Early Substitutions Leading to Big Results for Chelsea
Another trait to be praised about Enzo Maresca is his bold decisions. The Italian boss isn’t afraid to make early substitutions; all he wants for his team is to be on top after 90 minutes. While some managers face criticism for bringing in their substitutes late, Maresca doesn’t hold them back. On multiple occasions, he has made substitutions at halftime. For example, he subbed on Sancho against Bournemouth or Mudryk against Wolves, and these subs did make an impact on the match.
Maresca isn’t one of the typical managers who wait to make an impact. He implements his plan and makes subs whenever he feels the team needs it. He has learned a lot from his time at Leicester City, but this time he has a better team and an even stronger bench, and he is ready to take this team to new heights.
Maresca’s Tough Job: Keeping the Substitutes Happy
Having such great depth in their squad can be a blessing, but not in every aspect. It isn’t easy to keep everyone happy on the bench. With every player demanding game time, it wouldn’t be possible for Maresca to give this to all of his players with only limited match time. For instance, Noni Madueke didn’t seem to be very pleased after getting subbed off after putting up a stunning performance and scoring a hat trick. Maresca would face a similar dilemma for Nkunku, who was once the top scorer for RB Leipzig, wouldn’t want to remain as a super sub forever.
As Chelsea has a busy schedule for this season, it will be interesting to see how Maresca will use his players. With plenty of chances, it will be essential for Maresca to balance the game time among his players. As giving necessary exposure would be a key factor in grooming his players for a bigger stage.
Conclusion
It is going to take a lot from that bench if Chelsea want to get back into the Champions League. As last season’s top performers made a significant impact with their bench. Especially Liverpool, who had 24 goal contributions last season from the bench, stood third in the Premier League table. With players like Felix, Sancho, and Nkunku on the bench, it would definitely give confidence to Maresca and Chelsea. But they will have to work smartly with them if they finally want to get their hands on the title.
A trusted source on ChelseaNews.comFor more football updates, make sure to follow us on:
