Enzo Maresca frustration boils over as he says ‘moment there’s doubt about the idea, I will leave

Enzo Maresca’s frustrations over the fan response to his style of play boiled over last night as he threatened to leave Leicester City if doubts over his philosophy intensify.

Maresca oversaw a 3-1 win for City over Swansea on Tuesday night, a result that puts them 10 points clear at the top of the Championship. They’re not only on course for promotion, but to eclipse the highest-ever points tally in English professional football, Reading’s 106 in 2006.

But still Maresca’s style of play has some detractors. There were smatterings of shouts to get the ball forward from the stands at the King Power Stadium, as well as a few groans when City went backwards to keep possession.

Since his arrival at City, Maresca has routinely appealed to supporters to get behind his team and create an atmosphere to help them earn big results, and he did so again before the clash with Swansea. But he suggested afterwards that some fans are taking for granted what his side are achieving.

“Probably the people, they think it’s easy to win games, but it’s not easy,” Maresca said in his post-match press conference. “I just want to remind that we have played 34 official games and we have won 26. That is a huge number and probably the people they think it’s easy to win games. But it’s not like this.

“You can feel the fans when they’re not happy. Probably some people they take some things for granted. But it’s not like this. Twenty-six wins out of 34. It’s something unbelievable. Probably when you win, win, win at home, and you continue to win, people think it’s easy. But it’s not easy.

“I arrive in this club to play with this idea. The moment there is some doubt about the idea, the day after, I will leave. It’s so clear. No doubts.

“We have won 26 of 34, a huge number. If people think it’s easy and take it for granted, it’s not like this. Huge respect for the players and the effort they are doing. Hopefully we can reach and give our fans the right joy at the end of the season.”

Most of the grumbles came in the latter stages of the first half, and Maresca did admit that his team lacked intensity on the ball in that period. He feels his players may have slacked a little after taking the lead so early, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scoring inside three minutes.

“In this moment, because we are in the last part of the season, the most important thing is to try to win games,” he said. “Probably the first goal after two minutes didn’t help the team in terms of we thought it was more easy. We dropped the intensity on the ball, not off the ball because we pressed very well, very high. Then second half it was a little bit better.

“Even if we drop a little bit the intensity on the ball in the first half, we still had two or three clear chances. I’m very happy because we are in the last part of the season and now it’s important to win games.”

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