Battle of Approaches Looms as Frank and Enzo Maresca Face Off in Emerging Competition

When Chelsea were seeking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were in contention. This was an comprehensive process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they ultimately chose Enzo Maresca.

The feeling was that Maresca’s positional game and emphasis on possession rendered him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of technicians. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to bide his time for his next chance. Overlooked by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham appointed the Dane after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca face each other, both in prestigious roles. Their relationship is not currently a full-blown rivalry, but they experienced some close duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the more clear-cut chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more intriguing by the contrasting styles between the coaches. Frank is more of a adaptable coach, more willing to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to deploy an array of clinical set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca leans towards dogmatism. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% this season is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not inherently a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their strongest performances have come in games where they have relinquished the initiative. They were superb with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an exceptional counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences point to Spurs might adopt a defensive approach when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their last seven home league games. The statistics are concerning. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home outings is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a difficult game to call. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a absence of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and toils against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is context to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

However, there is potential for progress, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such red card in nine games, including Maresca’s banishment from the dugout during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is banned for the trip to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more incisive against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more reliability is necessary from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration built during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a five-man defense baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Numbers indicating that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season indicates that their key approach is being used against them and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a recent issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, underscoring a flaw when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to the limit. The danger is falling into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the fear also applies here.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their most impressive performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a advantage. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have space to attack.

Will Frank give them opportunity? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be smarter. Is a shift to a five-man defense on the cards? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will take into account that Chelsea have improved at attacking set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily align with Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a significant creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in from open situations. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the outcome may validate the approach. Spurs fans will not complain if a cautious approach ends a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Success would energize Frank’s reign. How he would love to win this duel with Maresca.