IT'S A MEANS TO AN ENZ...

SECOND SEASON FOR MARESCA, AND SUCCESS OF USA TOUR WILL BE DEFINED BY HOW FAST HIS BLUES START NEW PREM SEASON... OR HOW BIG THEIR HANGOVER IS

- BY JOHN CROSS

ENZO MARESCA is facing a huge second season at Chelsea.

The expectation levels are so high at Stamford Bridge that, internally, Maresca's first year in charge is still only seen as being “on par”.

Chelsea won a European trophy with the Conference League success, qualified for the Champions League and, arguably most impressively of all, provided a sense of calm among the chaos.

They would never admit it, but working for a club which has spent more than £1billion in the era of joint-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali takes a clear, calm head.

It is still regarded as something of a circus by people looking in from the outside and that is why Maresca's first 12 months deserve respect.

But, realistically, it is actually the next 12 upon which he will be judged.