After leaving Leicester City, Maresca replaced Mauricio Pochettino last summer without ever having managed a Premier League side before. So far he has exceeded expectations and was asked in his latest press conference if he ever doubted his ability heading into one of the biggest roles in football.
“Doubt myself? For sure, no,” he said. “Eddie Howe, when he started. He had experience? No. Pep (Guardiola), when he started at Barcelona. Experience? No. Mikel (Arteta), when he started at Arsenal. Experience? No.
“We all are in the same situation. When you start, you don’t have experience. You cannot go to the supermarket and buy experience. So, you need time. But it’s not only for me, it’s for all of us in different jobs.
“In terms of doubting myself? No. When we finish some games and (the media) ask me: ‘Are you worried about this or that?’ I am always worried because I try always until the end to do the right things. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in what I do.”
Chelsea sit third in the Premier League just 9 points behind leaders Liverpool and could close the gap with a win against Southampton on Wednesday night. Maresca acknowledges his team’s excellent form but accepts fans questioning him and his side when things don’t go their way.
“They were normal (to have doubts),” Maresca added, on the six-month anniversary of his appointment. “They are still normal. In the moment we lose games, there will still be doubt. I know how it works.”
"We want this momentum to continue, no doubt, but not because we are thinking of winning the Premier League,” he said. “We want to continue winning games and then we will see, but it’s not because we’re thinking about the end of the season.
“It’s difficult to continue the whole season in the way we are now. For sure, a different moment will come and we need to manage that and deal with that."
- Get breaking football news faster with the new Tribal Football app! Download now on iOS and Android to stay ahead of all the latest transfers and football updates. Download now: App Store, Google Play