Does Maresca need more from Chelsea's fans?
- Published
The topic of debate around Chelsea is increasingly whether the club has an atmosphere problem at Stamford Bridge.
Last season, Mauricio Pochettino repeatedly called on supporters to get behind the team as he endured poor form in home matches. Current manager Enzo Maresca has also been trying to tackle the issue all season - encouraging supporters subscribing to the club's official channels on an almost weekly basis to raise the atmosphere at their 41,000-seater stadium.
However, amid a poor run of form, the atmosphere has declined and both goalkeepers Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen have been derided for playing out from the back.
That has escalated to supporters jeering outfield players like midfielder Enzo Fernandez for passing it back to the goalkeeper.
Quizzed on whether players should listen to the fans or whether it is simply unhelpful, Maresca said: "The good thing is that Fernandez knows that if he doesn't play back, I will change him. If the 'keeper plays long, I will change him. This is what we have."
Chelsea's atmosphere at Stamford Bridge is more complex subject than simply blaming those in attendance for being bad fans.
They are no less passionate than other supporters but through their placement in London, they face a huge contingent of tourists. Some executives have told BBC Sport they estimate there is nearly a 25 per cent premium on ticketing across the stadium.
Tickets behind the bench, now called the 'Dugout Club', will pay up to £2,500 to sit behind the Chelsea players and coaches.
Of course, former owner Roman Abramovich had similar plans when trying to redevelop the stadium by increasing premium ticketing in such fashion.
But there is also a wider disconnect from supporters to the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership as a result of a lack of success in their first two seasons. Fans have also not built the same bonds with the current group of players due to the pace of transfer activity since the £2.5 billion takeover in 2022.
There is also a unique issue at Chelsea in that the club is aware that their fans are the oldest in the Premier League. Firstly, they may simply not be as energetic or excited about watching a team that has been in decline and, secondly, they have seen teams that are better than the current one or at least more accessible in the old culture of English football.
Chelsea are in talks with fan groups about implementing a signing section as clubs like Manchester United have done to group the more hardcore supporters together.
The issue was highlighted after Marc Cucurella's goal against Leicester, Maresca gestured to the supporters to raise the volume.
When asked about the situation, the Italian coach said: "The target is to finish top four, top five and in a Champions League place. What the fans need to understand is that we need them. We need our 12th man because these players are giving everything. We need their support for 90 or 100 minutes."
Pressed on whether fans need to do more, Maresca added: "We had that [support] absolutely, but we need it for the whole game."
But the issue of a tepid home atmosphere can only be solved by Maresca if he delivers real success in terms of trophies
If not, it will require a whole club effort to enjoy the financial spoils of hospitality tickets while also retaining the volume inside the stadium.
What do you think?
Does Maresca have a point or is the team's job to get the crowd on side?
