Chelsea have unmasked what could be the secret to Enzo Maresca’s strong start after releasing pictures from the club’s training ground at Cobham.
During the November international break, images emerged on social media platform X purportedly showing previously-unseen angles of the pitches at their Surrey base.
One picture showed two Chelsea stars fixated on a giant television screen in front of them, which had been mounted on a four-wheel trailer on the side of the pitch.
The image displayed a screenshot from their 3-0 win over Club America in pre-season with a higher camera angle, which is usually preferred by analysts when providing feedback.
It is not known how long the TV has been present at the training ground, but it is nothing new for students of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
His old assistant and now Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta decided to install a pitchside screen at Arsenal‘s training HQ back in 2022, a move which many see as an important step in turning his side into title contenders.
The Spaniard put up a five-metre tall monitor at London Colney to help his stars improve by playing them video clips during sessions. It also proved particularly useful for helping Arsenal develop their set-piece tactics, having become the Premier League‘s deadliest side for scoring goals from dead-ball situations.
Arteta was reportedly included in a WhatsApp group with ex-England rugby boss Eddie Jones and coaches from basketball and American football, which shows how the Gunners boss was open to adapting successful training tools from other sports for his squad.
Now Maresca has followed suit and ordered the same equipment to be brought in for his Chelsea players at Cobham, as the Italian continues to make his mark at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues forked out £10million in compensation to prise Maresca from Leicester City in the summer and the club’s sporting directors have given him their full backing in every area – from transfers to exiling players such as Ben Chilwell.
Having spent nearly £220million in the transfer window, the Italian’s innovative ideas are now being brought to life after an encouraging start to the season.
Chelsea are third in the Premier League table above the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham, although they are only three points above 13th-placed Manchester United. It highlights the close competitiveness of the top flight, and Maresca is aiming to unearth whatever marginal gains he can to improve his side.
One of the chief areas of concern has been the Blues’ defence, with 13 goals conceded and only two clean sheets in Maresca’s first 11 league games.
It may be Maresca’s thinking that the training ground screen will help individuals assess where they need to improve on their own, rather than receive negative feedback from coaches.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk