goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to keep taking calculated risks with his distribution and warned him that a conservative, overly cautious approach could cost him his spot.
After a narrow loss at Anfield last weekend, Chelsea rebounded with a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge over Newcastle, thanks to standout performances from Jackson Martinez and Cole Palmer.
Chelsea had to fight hard to hold onto the win, relying on the defensive efforts of captain Reece James, who made two critical goal-line clearances.
Despite the win, Sanchez’s anxious performance caused some worry among the home fans, as he repeatedly gave away possession with risky passes.
Maresca, however, has urged Sanchez to ignore any negative reactions from the crowd, insisting he must maintain his bold style—or risk losing his starting position.
‘He also did so many good [things],’ said the Chelsea manager, reflecting on the Spaniard’s display. ‘In the end, that is football.
‘I am the guy who asks Robert to do that. And Robert is going to do that. In the moment he stops to do that, he is not going to play.
‘If Robert makes a mistake, it’s not Robert’s problem, it’s my mistake because I asked that from Robert. I am very happy with Robert and the way he is playing, building from the back.
‘All the goal kicks we have and he passes the ball to Noni, and Pedro, that kind of ball that gives us many times chances to attack. Sometimes you make mistakes but it is not going to change the way we are going to play.’
Maresca was busy on the touchline throughout the second half of the game, barking instructions at his players.
Explaining his conduct on the sidelines, he added: ‘There are games, especially today’s one, that if you do a basketball game, they would destroy us. Newcastle are strong, they are good, they have some good players in transition.
‘The reason I was saying to calm was because this is the kind of game before you attack you need to make 15, 20 or 25 passes.
‘If you want to attack with two passes, you are long distance, they recover the ball and they can cause problems. That is the reason I was shouting all game, ‘calm, calm, calm, make passes’ is because against them if you do up and down game, they destroy us.’
