Paul Merson marked the selection of the Enzo Maresca team against Brentford “pathetic” in a derogatory evaluation of the priorities of the Chelsea manager.
Chelsea’s hopes to qualify for the Champions League next season took a worrying success on Sunday while Brentford held the Blues in a frustrating dead end of 0-0 in western London, taking advantage of Maresca’s decision to mix its pack before the quarter-final of the Thursday conference league against Legia Warszawa.
The XI of Maresca for Brentford raised the eyebrows before the match as key players of the first Cole Palmer team, Marc Cucurella, Nicolas Jackson, Pedro Neto and Levi Colwill were named on the bench for what promised to be a difficult test far from his home.
And the frustration in the Chelsea fans base only increased during Sunday afternoon, while visitors had trouble breaking Brentford and then dropped two vital points in the race for the first five.
Thanks to a fruitful campaign of English clubs in European competitions this season, the best five of the Premier League will qualify for the next quarter of the Champions League – although the battle for places is always as competitive as ever.
After the 0-0 draw in Brentford, Chelsea seated in fourth place on 53 points, closely in front of Newcastle in fifth which is just behind the difference in goals but which has a match in hand.
Enzo Maresca was saved from his “pathetic” team selection in Brentford on Sunday
The blues dropped two precious points while Brentford held them in a frustrating dead end 0-0
Maresca chose to drop a handful of key players, including Cole Palmer (right), which turned out to be expensive
Meanwhile, the title champions of the Premier League Manchester City and the quarters of finalists of the Aston Villa Champions League chase them with 52 points and 51 points respectively.
Even Fulham and Brighton will believe that they are with an external cry of an finish among the first five, having made respective accounts of 48 and 47 points after 31 games.
The Premier League is the competition from which Chelsea can qualify for the Champions League next season, because the winners of the conference league are only rewarded with a place in the Europa League for next season.
Fearing that Chelsea would ultimately ruin the selection of the Maresca team against Brentford on Sunday, Merson scolded the Italian with a furious chronicle via Sky Sports.
“I could not believe that the Enzo Maresca team published in Brentford. When this team came out, I was amazed. It was pathetic, “he said.
“Chelsea won the Champions League. Is this the league of the conference – and it rests players for that?
“Entering the Champions League must be everything and finish everything. They must be there. If they came sixth in the Premier League and won the conference league, it would be a shock. A shock.
The former star of Arsenal and England continued by stressing how better the Maresca team was after Palmer and Jackson came in the middle of the second half, insisting that Chelsea “ dominated ” the bees in the last stages.
Paul Merson asked that he be “stunned” by the manager’s decision to rest the key players
Maresca, who is preparing for the first stage of the quarter -final of the Chelsea conference league against Legia Warszawa, was accused of having used competition as a `security net ” ‘
Manchester City (above) breathes Chelsea’s neck in the Champions League football race next season, while Newcastle, Aston Villa, Fulham and Brighton are also in the pursuit
“Now they are against that,” he added. “Chelsea may have to finish before Manchester City to qualify for the Champions League, at a time when each team that finished before City won the Premier League.
“Maresca will not win me before the end of May. People tell me that Chelsea is doing well, but they have one of the world’s largest teams and they are not even about to win the Premier League.
“Maresca probably examines the conference league by thinking that they must win it because they may not be in European competition next season.
“Chelsea may not finish in the top six this year and win the Europa League football. He uses it as a safety net.
After having welcomed difficulties in Ipswich in Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Chelsea must endure a difficult stay in the Premier League alongside her exploits in the conference league.
After the second floor at home against Legia Warszawa next Thursday, the Blues against western London competes with Fulham in Craven Cottage before a difficult test against Everton by David Moyes, who held Arsenal a 1-1 draw last weekend.
After that, Chelsea faces three of the first five in Liverpool, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, with a home confrontation against Manchester United on weekends before their last match of the season at City Ground.
