FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Championship - Leicester City v Blackburn Rovers - King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain - May 4, 2024 Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca celebrates after winning the Championship Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra/File Photo
(Reuters) - New Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has asked for patience ahead of their Premier League opener against reigning champions Manchester City, as the Italian tries to turn around the west London side's fortunes after a series of underwhelming seasons.
Chelsea, who finished sixth last campaign and 12th in the 2022-23 season, hired the 44-year-old Maresca in June after he guided Leicester City to the English Championship title in his first season in charge.
Chelsea have gone big again in the transfer window, splashing out around 160 million pounds ($206.50 million) on signing players such as Portuguese winger Pedro Neto, midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Swedish-Danish goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.
"We are going to try and do our best to win games," Maresca, who had a spell as one of Pep Guardiola's assistant managers at City, told reporters on Friday.
"The big difference between us, in this moment, and other teams is that it is just a matter of time. Some clubs work with a manager for eight years, so with time we will close the gap and hopefully that can happen soon.
"Sometimes it (time) sounds like an excuse from managers and I know timing in football is difficult, but in our case with the process and ideas we will close the gap.
"We need their (fans) support because when you are on the pitch and you can hear the fans behind the team it is like 12 players. If they support us and be patient then we will pay them back with performance and results."
Chelsea will be without captain Reece James after the 24-year-old right back picked up a hamstring injury.
Maresca said midfielder Conor Gallagher, 24, was training apart and would not be available for Sunday's clash at Stamford Bridge. Gallagher was close to a move to LaLiga club Atletico Madrid but British media reports said it had been put on hold.
"He is trying to find a solution with the club," Maresca said.
($1 = 0.7748 pounds)
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
