Chelsea news: Opinion – Fan on feelings about Enzo Maresca’s football

Chelsea’s last-minute win over Fulham on Sunday earned them three important points in the race for the Champions League places.

At full-time, just moments after Pedro Neto had lashed in the winner, the team rushed to the delighted away support. It looked like an important moment of connection, with the players trying to atone for their poor recent performances and the fans happy to be able to show some appreciation after weeks of grumbling and growing tensions.

One person was not there to see it, however. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca had gone down the tunnel without much hesitation after the final whistle and, while he later claimed he just wanted to let his squad enjoy the moment, it was hard not to see it as a pointed gesture from a man who was being jeered by those supporters in the first half.

While the players have been criticised for playing poorly, they can easily earn back the love of the fans with better performances – or even just a couple of good goals, as we saw on Sunday.

The problems with Maresca are deeper. They are a question of philosophy as much as results.

He has said he only knows one way to play, and will not change it. Chelsea fans have made it very clear they do not like that style.

Good results will always mask any problems, but they will not solve them entirely. Without something fundamental changing, Maresca is only ever going to be a few bad results away from the sort of disharmony that has been hanging over this team since Christmas.

That is not a solid base for a team to build on, and it is cause for concern no matter what happens in the final games of the season.

Find more from Will Faulks at Chelsea News