Former Chelsea player Jody Morris admitted he’s been left baffled by one thing Enzo Maresca has been doing this season.
The Blues made a strong start to to the campaign and at one stage found themselves just two points behind leaders Liverpool.
That form saw them find themselves in the title conversation, something Maresca consistently played, and now you can see why.
Morris baffled by Maresca and his late substitutions
Having been on a six game unbeaten run, which included five wins on the bounce the Blues are now winless in their last five games after being held to a 2-2 by Bournemouth on Tuesday night.
Chelsea have now slipped to fifth and out of the Champions League places, although they are only a point behind Newcastle.
The Blues haven’t played badly during this run, with Maresca’s men creating so many opportunities, but they have been so wasteful in front of goal with the 44-year-old sharing his frustration at this after the draw with the Cherries.
Maresca has been brilliant this season, but one thing that’s starting to frustrate fans is why he waits so long to make substitutions, with Tuesday night another example as he waited until the 80th minute to introduce Joao Felix and Pedro Neto with the Blues trailing 2-1.
It’s not just fans who are frustrated, and former Blue Morris has admitted he can’t get his head round why the Italian seemingly waits so long.
“I am surprised with how long he [Maresca] waits sometimes to make decisions and substitutions, even the other day waiting until 80 minutes for [Pedro] Neto,” he told talkSPORT.
“That’s one of the things I’ve maybe been a little bit baffled by, why he waits so long to make some substitutions.”
It’s a fair point and one Maresca has answered questions about before, with the former Leicester boss involved in an exchange with a journalist on the matter after the draw with Crystal Palace this month.
Chelsea host Wolves on Monday night and fans will be hoping Maresca is more pro-active in his use of the bench.
