It was not clear exactly who or what Enzo Maresca was referring to in his cryptic comments, but it seemed obvious he was looking to send a message.
In the previous 48 hours, Chelsea had returned from his native Italy after defeat in Bergamo to Atalanta, held a single training session at Cobham, attended a pre-match news conference where he appeared relaxed and ended a four-game winless run by beating Everton.
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It was clear from Maresca’s regular news conferences that he believed his tenure at Stamford Bridge had been a success so far.
He was proud to have won the Club World Cup and Conference League while qualifying for the Champions League in his first season. There had been mixed messaging over whether the latter was a target before the campaign, but it increasingly became a club objective after Chelsea made such a positive start under his leadership.
It meant Maresca ended last season ahead of schedule while delivering on the project. He had still not lost more than two league games in a row.
It is clear, therefore, that Maresca has felt exposed by criticism while managing the youngest squad in the Premier League. He has also been without Cole Palmer for most of this season, Moises Caicedo for several matches and Levi Colwill for the entirety of the campaign – all regarded as among Chelsea’s best players in their positions.