Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has responded to criticism of Wayne Rooney’s rotation policy.
The former Manchester United captain said earlier this week that Chelsea’s senior players should “question” Maresca’s team selection after he made seven changes during Wednesday’s 2-2 Champions League draw in Qarabag.
Rooney also believes Maresca’s players will be unhappy with the “chopping and changing”, but it is the second time this week that the former England captain’s claims have been publicly challenged.
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After Liverpool’s midweek Champions League win over Real Madrid, Reds captain Virgil van Dijk awkwardly hit back at pundits’ criticism of Rooney’s leadership to his face.
And Maresca hit back at Rooney over his rotation strategy ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League home game against Wolves on Saturday, broadcast live on Sky Sports.
“I’ve said it many times already, but we live in an era where everyone can say what they want to say, and I completely respect that,” Maresca said.
Wayne Rooney (right) says senior Chelsea players should ‘question’ Enzo Maresca’s rotation policy
“After the Qarabag game, I also said that ever since I joined the club, it was my idea to rotate the players. No one complains even if we don’t win games, no one objects.
“When you have Andrei Santos from Brazil, Jorel Hato from the Netherlands and Estevao from Brazil, it’s not a matter of rotation. They’re good, they’re talented, they’re young. When they’re young, you have to give them a chance to make some mistakes to get better. The same thing happened with Josh Achiampong in the past.”
“But we understand that when we don’t win games, the problem is rotation or something else.”
Maresca have made 85 changes to their starting XI across all competitions this season, the most of any Premier League team.
The former Leicester manager, who said he “loved” rotation as a player, defended the multiple changes he made to this season’s line-up.
The 45-year-old said: “I think football is a little different at the moment compared to a few years ago, in terms of physicality and intensity.
“For me personally, it’s impossible to play 65 games a season with the same players, whether it’s in the Champions League or the Premier League.
“Football was different a few years ago. I played for 20 years and it wasn’t as physical, but now it’s changed. You need rotation.
“This is my personal view, but I think if you want to look at the season like a marathon, you need to do that. And then in February and March, when you have the last spurt, you probably need to think differently, but at the moment you need to think like a long race.”
Analysis: Maresca’s rotation policy supported by the club
Sky Sports News’ Gail Davis reports from Maresca’s pre-match press conference:
“Enzo Maresca joked when he finished his press conference that he was probably going to rotate for another interview. When you make 85 changes in all competitions, you have to expect that, especially if you get your first point against an English team in the Champions League and draw with Qarabag, where you scored your first goal.”
“Maresca’s reform policies have been supported by the club, but given Chelsea’s inconsistency, particularly at the back, Maresca himself called the goal conceded against Wolves in the League Cup a ‘stupid goal’. It’s easy to see why pundits like Wayne Rooney opined this week that the players won’t be happy with all the ‘chopping and changing’.”
“Chelsea’s head coach was quick to point out that his side had more clean sheets at this stage of the season than last season, that players need to make mistakes and learn, and that he loves it as a player, but the laughter that followed suggested he didn’t really believe what he said.”
“Speaking of rotation, will Estevao make his first Premier League start since the end of September? Well, he still seems to be quite adjusting to life in England, especially the weather. Maresca had to give the Brazilian winger some bad news. “He complained last week that it was cold, but that was October. Wait until December, January! He says, ‘It’s still hot!’
