ENZO MARESCA revealed how a half-time dressing down helped Chelsea escape Carabao Cup embarrassment.
The Blues were trailing League One side Lincoln City after handing Rob Street a shock opener.
Enzo Maresca revealed he was furious with his Chelsea players at half-time[/caption]
Maresca said things got heated during the half-time team talk[/caption]
But Maresca sent his players out early for the second half and, after five minutes, they were ahead through Tyrique George and Facundo Buonanotte.
Asked if things had got heated during his team talk at the break, Maresca said: “Absolutely, absolutely.
“Because we prepared the game thinking exactly in the way it was the first half, and sometimes it’s about desire, it’s about winning second ball, but it’s also about experience.
“Jamie Gittens never played against League One [teams], these kind of games.
“Jorrel Hato never played this kind of game. You have to play in a different way.”
He added: “The first half, we were aware of the game that we expect in terms of long balls, duels, throw-ins, free-kick, every time inside the box.
“I know that some of them, they didn’t play these kind of games, I asked today how many of them they play against, you know, League One team, because you need to know a different kind, you need to play a different kind of game.
“It’s not the same game, because the desire is double from them, from duels, these kind of things.
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“We struggled in the first half, I think in the second half we were much better.”
Lincoln boss Michael Skubala said: “We were so good, the intensity – we pressed Chelsea.
“The players were brave.
“We’re just disappointed where we had a mad five minutes.”
Chelsea ratings v Lincoln
CHELSEA scaped through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after a nightmare first half.
Robert Street opened the scoring for League One Lincoln City before Tyrique George equalised early in the second half.
George then set up Facundo Buonanotte to score the winner for grateful manager Enzo Maresca.
Here’s how SunSport’s Rahman Osman rated the Blues.
