Chelsea -Baas Enzo Maresca says that he is happy with their position prior to the Friday evening collision with Manchester United.
Sitting in fifth place, Maresca recognized this morning that victories in their last two Premier League matches will see the Blues Secure Champions League qualification.
He said: “Absolutely. At the start of the season, if someone said we should win the last two games to reach the Champions League, we would be happy. The first five or six months we were second and third, so even better. We will try to end well.
“Since the first day I said the club told me that we want to play Champions League in two years. But if you are in the top four the entire season, it is obvious that the target is changing.
“What changed is that because we were there all season, the target automatically becomes top four/five. I think we have had a good season that will be a very good season if we can end the top five and win the Conference League.
Asked for a struggling united team, Maresca insisted: “I am focused on us. It is already difficult to judge when you are inside, so imagine when you are not. We try to do our best here. It's something they should look at.
“In my personal opinion it is not whether it is a good time to face them or not. It's just about us. I think the team is at a good time. In the last 10 Premier League matches we have 20 points. Two points per match is a good average to reach a Champions League place.”
Jackson knows that there has been a mistake
In the meantime, Maresca was also asked about last week's setback in Newcastle United. Chelsea was defeated in the top-four confrontation, where Nicolas saw Jackson Red.
On his striker, Maresca said: “I think Nico is intelligent enough to acknowledge that there has been a mistake.
“I think it's against Newcastle, it was our first red card of the season. We try to be intense and aggressive, I don't know to be honest. It is a good question and one that we have to analyze in the summer to see if we can do something better.”
Discussed about the situation of Jackson, the manager continued: “For me it's not about age. Regardless of the age, you make a mistake, it's okay because we all make mistakes.
“If you make the mistake again, then it is probably not the best. In the summer we have to see and assess things.
“We have to see the yellow cards that we can avoid next season. It is normal that the light is on Nico after a red card, but in general it is something that is not about Newcastle or the first game of the season, it is something that you should avoid if you can avoid.”
Shift in tactics
Maresca admits that the Jackson suspension has created a problem after confirming Christopher Nunku is also injured.
The Italian says that the young Center-Forward Marc Guiu is another one that cannot be considered tomorrow: “We are working on that. Unfortunately we don't have many options. Marc Guiu is still injured.
“It depends on the game plan. Against a line of five, I prefer a real no. 9 because we want to attack at the back. I love a false nine against four because we can link a little more. We have to find a different solution.”
Maresca insisted on the positive points of last week's defeat, “I think we were still brave in the second half. The team has always been brave, sometimes because of the other team, you can do that and sometimes not.
“The mind, togetherness and the efforts we showed in the second half were fantastic, and that is something, 100%, we need in the following two games.”