Paul Merson has slammed Enzo Maresca over the ‘pathetic’ team he picked for Chelsea’s Premier League clash against Brentford.
Facing west London rivals Brentford just three days after another derby against Tottenham, Maresca rung the changes, benching Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson.
Chelsea lacked fluidity against Brentford and were held to a goalless draw as their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League suffered another blow.
Merson was ‘flabbergasted’ by Maresca’s team selection and has questioned why players are being rested with the Europa Conference League in mind.
Chelsea face Polish side Legia Warsaw on Thursday night in the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League, the competition a rung below the Europa League.
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‘I couldn’t believe the team Enzo Maresca put out at Brentford,’ Merson told Sky Sports. ‘When that team came out, I was flabbergasted. It was pathetic.
‘Chelsea have won the Champions League. This is the Europa Conference League – and he’s resting players for it?
‘Getting into the Champions League has to be the be all and end all. They have to be in it.
‘If they come sixth in the Premier League and win the Europa Conference League, it would be a shocker. A shocker.
‘This is Legia Warsaw, no disrespect to them but they won’t beat Chelsea over two legs. You have to beat Brentford.
‘If they had won that game, then beat Ipswich at the weekend, they would have Champions League football in their hands with six games to go.
‘And then look at what happened when those subs like Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson came on. They dominated Brentford.
‘But now, they are right up against it. Chelsea might have to finish ahead of Manchester City to qualify for the Champions League, in an era when every team that finished ahead of City won the Premier League.’
Chelsea briefly threatened to mount a genuine title challenge in Maresca’s first season at Stamford Bridge but now face a huge fight just to qualify for the Champions League.
Earlier this week, ex-Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher predicted Chelsea would fall short of Champions League qualification.
Merson still has doubts over Maresca and says it would be an ‘absolute disaster’ for Chelsea to once again miss out on the Champions League.
‘Enzo Maresca won’t win me over until the end of May,’ Merson added.
‘People tell me that Chelsea are doing well, but they’ve got one of the biggest squads in the world and they aren’t even close to winning the Premier League.
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‘Man City and Arsenal have dominated the Premier League the last two years and Chelsea are a million points off the title in the year they drop off.
‘And these players are going to be together for the next six or seven years because of their contracts. It’s madness, absolutely madness.
‘Six big-money players are currently out on loan because they aren’t playing so it might be an absolute disaster if they do not get Champions League football next season.
‘And winning the Conference League? Come on. There are two or three teams in this competition that I’ve never even heard of.’
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