'Building trust takes time and that has seemingly just been reset once again'

6 days ago 2

So where are we now after 18 months, two trophies, highs, lows - and finally Enzo Maresca's exit on Thursday.

It took time for Chelsea fans to warm to the Italian, with the scars of Graham Potter's calamitous reign, Frank Lampard's ill-fated caretaker spell, and the ambivalent season under former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino still fresh.

Maresca did not arrive with a stellar CV at managerial level - though had won the Championship title with Leicester City - and his style of play did not immediately set pulses racing.

Like the Boehly-Clearlake-Eghbali ownership regime, he had to prove himself to a fanbase desperate for an identity to cling on to after a purgatorial first few years post-Roman Abramovich's exit.

Last season's late run to secure Champions League qualification, followed by the Conference League win and impressive Club World Cup triumph, went a long way to endear Maresca.

This season, the late win over Liverpool, the 3-0 dismantling of Barcelona and the battling point against Arsenal with 10 men, all at Stamford Bridge, strengthened a connection that felt as if it was really beginning to bourgeon.

Despite frustration at some recent performances and results, it is not a breakdown in relationship between manager and supporters that has lead to Maresca's exit. The away end singing the Italian's name after the Carabao Cup win over Cardiff City on 16 December was a vocal show of their backing.

It is Maresca's runs down the touchline in celebration - famously during the epic storm-hit long win against Benfica at the Club World Cup and after Estevao Willian's late winner against Liverpool in October - that will live long in the memory of the fans. Not those in the directors' box.

The accusation against the board is that its members are not interested in a big-hitter manager with a big personality who could bring a haul of major trophies, but instead want a yes-man who will toe the party line and work within the guidelines provided.

Because fans do not trust the ownership, they are wary of the managers they appoint. Building trust takes time and that has seemingly just been reset once again.

When Maresca was appointed, I wrote on this page that the move "contributes to the identity crisis Chelsea are enduring, and the feelings of detachment from the club fans are suffering as a result".

Now, parting ways with him has arguably had the same result. Will the next appointment not just start this process all over again?

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