Blues News Report!

All your latest news from today plus sourced info on Noni Madueke and details of a Si Phillips transfer Q&A on the app TONIGHT!

Evening all,

First and foremost, there has been a lot of questions on some news I posted out on the app earlier today. As a result, I’ll be doing a Q&A session on the Substack App tonight very soon around 8.30/9pm UK time. I’ll post it out on the app when I go live with it so keep a look out!

The rest of today’s news now…

Every words from Enzo Maresca’s presser today

Kieran McKenna was linked with this job before you got it. How highly do you rate him?

"He is doing fantastic since he joined Ipswich. They are doing top. Even this year, they are doing well so congratulations to him for the way he is doing everything since he joined the club."

What sort of challenge is this for your side?

"I think all the Premier League games are complicated; no matter the other team. You see every game we play, it is always complicated. You see the other team, you struggle to beat teams and I think the Ipswich game will be exactly the same."

How important is it for you to end the year on a high?

"Very important. We are going to try to prepare the game in the way we try always - to win the game. We have a bad feeling about the game we just lost against Fulham and hopefully we can come back with three points after this game."

On Noni Madueke, was it something to do with training or his performance against Everton? Can you give us an idea [of why he wasn't in the squad vs Fulham]?

"No, it's just a technical decision. Sometimes we take a decision and it's no more than that."

Will he be in contention for the squad against Ipswich?

"Yeah, for sure, for sure."

How do you pick apart the defeat?

"For sure, after a game, you need to go again no matter the result. Especially this month; I think in December, we already played eight or nine games in 25 or 27 days. So now it is also important to recover the energy and go again on Monday and then if we are going to make one change, two changes or three changes, we will see. Now it is a bit early but for sure, we are going to change something."

You dropped Madueke earlier this season because his level dropped in training. Was it to do with something like that again? Do you have to keep the level high, the competition high?

"For sure, the competition has to be high but not only Noni Madueke was out, Renato Veiga was also not in the squad, and the reason is exactly the same for both of them. There is not any different reason."

Was Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall a technical decision or is he injured?

"No, Kiernan is injured."

When you have these setbacks, how important is it to keep the season going with a quick response from the squad?

"Yeah, absolutely. We never thought we were going to win every game. We lost a game on August 18 and then [another] two months and now [another] two months. But we know the reality is not to lose one game every two months, so now it is a matter of how we react and try to go again."

You worked with Liam Delap at Man City. What makes him special and what potential does he have?

"Liam is a fantastic player. Also for his age, we spent one year together. I think in that season, he scored 22 or 24 goals. This is a very good striker - as I've said many times, England are quite lucky because they have very good players, very good strikers, and it is working hard off the ball, on the ball he understands the game and he can score goals. Because of his age, I think he can be an important player for England."

You've spoken about Noni's training level and maturity in the past. When you've decided to go public with it, how has he responded?

"Fantastic. Very good. He responded very good at that time, so there is no more than that."

And you're expecting the same this time?

"Yeah, absolutely."

Sources: Noni Madueke

As I put out on the app earlier, SPTC sources have heard that Madueke turned up late for an important meeting earlier this week which led to him being dropped from the squad for Fulham. As well as that, there has been a string of other issues related to attitude and not putting enough effort in training that has annoyed Enzo Maresca. The Italian is delivering more ‘tough love’ according to our reliable sources.

Fernandez on IG

Enzo Fernandez via IG: "we don't hide"

Interesting…

Former Barcelona academy director Xavi Vilajoana on Marc Guiu joining Chelsea:

🗣️ "I didn't understand it. I would have done everything possible to keep him. It was obvious that he had a lot of things to improve, but he had a goal-scoring ability.

“He was the type of player who would have developed and improved very quickly here. For a centre forward who shows his face in the youth team and we don't make an effort to keep him...?"

Yep, been an issue for a while now

Troy Deeney on Chelsea: "They are really young team, so they've got to get used to being in these positions.

“One thing that I noticed yesterday was Cole Palmer's frustration is starting to come out with a decision making of people.

“And when they're trying to win games, it's still really slow and passive, but he's trying to be like, think for yourselves, just try and win.

“I wonder how he's going to deal with teams now putting two and three on him, because that's what's going to start happening. How does he adapt, not getting more and more frustrated."

Let’s hope so Raz, let’s hope so….

Raheem Sterling is still convinced that the second half of the season can be important for him at Arsenal.

So he's not planning to leave Arsenal in the January transfer window to return to Chelsea.

- @FabrizioRomano

ONE. TO. WATCH… without a doubt…

Enzo Maresca on Liam Delap: "Liam is a fantastic player, we spent one year together. I think he scored 22 or 24 goals.

“This is a very good striker - works hard off the ball, on the ball, he understands the game and he can score goals. Because of his age, I think he can be an important player for England."

This is so true…

Former Chelsea keeper Schwarzer on Fulham's winning goal:

🗣️ "Robert Sanchez looked to hit a massive diagonal and he doesn’t hit it properly.

“That enabled Fulham to hit them on the counter and players were caught out of position. The goalkeeper has to look at himself, it was a poor clearance."

That’s it for now, but do join me on the Q&A real soon!

Simon Phillips