"I completely trust the club" | Enzo Maresca opens up about how things are at Man City right now
Maresca on Man City’s off-field noise: full trust in the club, focus on Anfield, and views on progress and workload
Ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Anfield, Enzo Maresca discusses the off-field noise, managing his players, the atmosphere, the start to the season and workload. He says he fully trusts the club, wants continued improvement despite seven wins from seven, and describes the mood as good.
- I have complete trust in the club and the people inside it — That trust is why I joined; there is an ongoing process and appeal, so we must wait.
- This kind of storm is part of a coach’s job and nothing to worry about — Something similar with charges happened in the treble season when he was here; you must manage yourself in good moments and in storms.
- The club explaining the situation to everyone is enough; no extra special measures are needed — The players are only 20 to 25, they just want to enjoy football, and they come in to prepare and try to win.
- He is not worried about the Anfield atmosphere because it is ultimately a football game — Anfield is already a good environment every game and it will be hotter, but it is still a game.
- Iraola will do very well at Liverpool — He did fantastically at Bournemouth and there is no doubt he will do fantastically at Liverpool.
- Seven wins matter, but it matters more whether the players learn our game day by day, and the team can still improve — There is room to improve in pressing and set pieces in attack and defence; football is always evolving.
- Replacing Guardiola is not something he approaches differently; he is just being himself — He manages players, prepares games and tries to win in the same way he did at Chelsea and Leicester.
- He is concerned about the number of games for all players, not just Haaland — International players go away and play three or four games, which could be a problem in the future; they are fit now but need load and minutes managed.
- The mood at the club is good and the players are happy and excited — The team is top of the league and this is a moment to enjoy, even if people may want to hear different words.
► Subscribe to Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWPremierLeagueYT Enzo Maresca speaks about how he has been managing the 'noise' off the pitch at Manchester City, their start to the season and more ahead of their trip to Anfield this weekend. 00:00 How he is managing everything and managing players 02:43 Liverpool game 04:26 Start to the season 05:27 Replacing Pep Guardiola 06:18 Enjoying management 07:09 Concerned about number of games 08:02 Mood right now at club premierleague football manchestercity ► Premier League highlights: https://bit.ly/PL2627HL ► MNF, FNF, SNF & Super Sunday analysis: https://bit.ly/SkyMatchAnalysis ► Gary Neville Podcast: https://bit.ly/GaryNevillePodcast ► Saturday Social: https://bit.ly/SkySaturdaySocial ► Buy this season’s shirts: https://bit.ly/SkySportsShop More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkySportsFootball ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skysportsfootball ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsfootball ► X: https://x.com/SkySportsPL ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage
Transcript
And so, I know you said you're very calm, but obviously it's a very difficult situation. I've always kind of thought of you, and maybe this applies to every coach, but you're most comfortable with your players. You're most comfortable on the grass. And now you find yourself in a situation where you're having to shield the players. You're having to be the public face of the club. So, over the last couple of weeks, and in particular in that press conference you've just walked out of, how have you found it? How have you coped? >> I I always try to to start from honest point of view. In terms of I will tell you what I can tell you. And from there, I start to, you know, I start the conversation. So, it's Yes, as you said, before the international break, we played seven games, seven wins. We used the international break to see how we can improve things, but at the same time, we have noise around the club, around the team. But again, there is there is a process. There is appeal ongoing. And we need we need to wait. For sure, the reason why in general I joined this club is because I completely trust the club, the people inside the club. So, no more than that. >> So, for you, was there an initial shock? Cuz it's, you know, you've come to this club with everything you need to be successful, everything you've worked for all your career, and suddenly it's all turned upside down. >> Yeah, first of all, I have to say that in the treble season, when I was here, something similar happened in terms of charges and these kind of things. But again, it's it's You need also to to manage yourself in a nice moment, in a storm, you know? So, it's part of the part of our life, our job, and no problem at all. >> And how are you managing the players? You You You said the thing you said that we're fantastic. But every individual must be different. So, have you had like a team meeting, or is it looking at guys in training, seeing how different people are reacting to what is a big moment in their career and life? >> No, I promise you, but the the only moment we had is the the club that just explained the situation uh to everyone, and no more than that. And then the players, again, they are 20, 25 years old. They just want to enjoy, so they come here for session. We try to prepare in our best way on field game, and try to win the game. >> Yeah, and how do you feel about the challenge and the atmosphere you could face at Anfield? >> Yeah, Anfield it's already nice environment every every game, so we'll be >> about the atmosphere? >> Well, uh not worried because at the end it's a football game. Uh for sure the environment will be more hot. >> Yeah. >> I would say. But uh it's a football game. >> Are you desperate to get to the match, to get on with the football? It's almost however hot it is when you're stood on that touchline, or you're in the dressing room, you're working with the players, and it's tactical discussions, in a sense, you're able to make that first step to putting this into the background a little bit, at least for a while. >> I like to approach the game uh with the right timing. Now, uh you know, players come back from international duty. Yesterday, we had the first session with all players. We have two more sessions today and tomorrow to prepare the game. We're going to prepare the game in the best way, and then Sunday game, you know, our way to the stadium, it's uh will be nice. >> And you said you watched that game in February, quite a dramatic game, City winning at Anfield. What did you learn from that? >> That first of all, that like always, like happened many times, game never finish for you or against you. And also, again, as I said, the the the celebration at the end was a fantastic moment. >> What about the challenge of Iraola's Liverpool? Cuz I guess they're a a slightly different beast now, a different way of playing. >> Yeah, anyway, I don't know did fantastic job with the Bournemouth and he's going to do fantastic job with the Liverpool, no doubt at all. >> What have you made of the start, I mean, before the international break and all the the noises, as you put it, that's followed. Before that, how pleased have you been? >> Very happy. Very happy with for sure seven games, seven wins, seven wins. It's important, but for me it's much more important to see the day by day how the players they are learning how we want to play, when we have the ball, when we don't have the ball. We won the seven games, but at the same time, there are many things that we can do, we can do better. >> Okay. What can you do better? >> Many things. Many things. First of all, the way the way we are pressing, there are things that we can do, you know, we can do better. We need to improve that. I think in terms also in terms of set pieces, there are things that we can do better, attacking, defending. But this is football, it's always evolution, so there are things that always you can do better in general. >> It's not easy to replace a manager of Pep Guardiola's standing. We've seen that throughout Premier League history. You've seemed very comfortable doing it, and even in a difficult moment in the press conference you've just come out of, you've seemed um calm, as you said. What Why do you think you've been able to manage potential difficult moments as well as you have. I'm talking about replacing Pep there. >> Yeah, I'm I'm since day one I'm just trying to be myself. I'm trying to manage players, prepare games, try to win games exactly in the same way I have done in the past with Chelsea or previously with the Leicester. So, I'm not I'm not doing something different. I'm just trying to be to be myself. >> Yeah. Is it almost something to enjoy? This is the opportunity you've worked your whole career for. Like throughout your playing days, Leicester, Chelsea, and you're here now at a top club. So, enjoy the opportunity you've earned. >> Oh, yeah, for sure when you are you know at Manchester City uh it's it's fantastic. But, for me also in the way in the way I like to be manager, for me it was also fantastic to be at Chelsea and to be at Leicester because I like the day by day. I like to see you improving you in terms of player. How can I help you to improve? How can I help you to improve, you know, day after day? This is my my my duty. This is my passion because I'm 100% convinced that when you improve players, you improve the team. So, we need to improve players. >> How is Erling Haaland? Cuz he came off obviously in his last international match. His national manager said afterwards about him being I think the phrase was thoroughly spent. And and I did an interview with him yesterday where he talked about the workload for top players. So, is that a concern for you across the board and with him a little bit at the moment his his physical condition? >> Not only with the Erling to be honest. I'm concerned about the players for the amount of the games. So, it's just uh Erling, but also Ruben, more players, all the international players that they go away and they play three, four games. It's It's the situation and for them can be can be a a problem in the future. >> So, how have they come back? Physically, I'm talking about now. >> Fortunately, they are all all fit. So, this is the most important thing. We need to manage some of them in terms of loading minutes and we are going to do that. >> Okay. Lastly, then, how is the mood ahead of a big challenge ahead, on and off the pitch? >> Yeah, the mood is is is is good. I just said that probably you would like to listen different things or different words, but the mood is good, the players they are good, they are happy, they are excited. Again, in this moment, we also need to enjoy in that we are top of the league and so it's it's good mood.