Maresca: Some of the red cards were avoidable; it will be a tough game

Chelsea will face Tottenham away on Saturday night, and Maresca attended the pre-match press conference.

Have you spoken to Liam Delap since the red card?

No, I didn't need to speak with Liam. I spoke with Liam, but Liam, he knows everything. He's aware of the situation. He knows that he made a mistake. And full stop. No more than that.

Do you think the players appreciate you being as open and honest as you were on Wednesday night?

This is a question for them. If I say that we need to avoid a red card, it's we need to avoid red card. I say what I think is correct to say. Sometimes we had a red card that was difficult to avoid and sometimes we had some a red card that we could avoid.

Do you think generally speaking there is a problem with discipline?

I think that some of the red cards that we concede, we can avoid it.

And likewise, some of the yellow cards you were saying on Wednesday night as well were avoidable as well...

I don't know.

What can you do to change that? Do you think to change some of the rash tackles, some of the challenges, the avoidable cards?

It's also something that we need to learn. Something that we have to do better. And for sure, no doubt that in the future we're going to be better also on that.

Have you sat down with the squad and spoke to them about all of these red cards?

Again, some of the red cards we could avoid. Some of the red cards we cannot avoid.

Is Delap a way away from being the player you want him to be? You were quite stern with your words after the red card...

Probably because I'm not from England so sometimes when I try to translate from Italian to English sometimes it's a bit different. Liam when he's inside the pitch is more focused to do his battle against the central defender than the rest. This was what I was telling, what I was trying to say after that game.

And is that how you wanted to play?

There are two players in this team, three players in this team, that I know them better than the rest. Romeo Lavia, Cole Palmer and Liam Delap because I know them from the Under-21s [at Manchester City], four years ago. So I know Liam always and I know that Liam will be a fantastic player for us but there are some things like the rest that he needs to improve.

Tottenham's home record isn't very good. Is there a vulnerability there?

Tottenham, I think they are doing very good. They finished last season winning the Europa League. They started very good this season and also because it's a derby for sure it would be a difficult game.

Have you looked at why they are so poor at home in the league?

I don't know, this is a question for them.

What do you sort of think separates Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho and what do they contribute differently to the squad?

They are both adapting to our the way we work every day. They are both doing well. This is what we want from our wingers, you know, score goals and assist and it's good to have both doing well so we can choose one or the other one.

You've conceded the most shots from set-pieces as well. What issue do you think it is?

I think that set-pieces you are going to score goals and you are going to concede goals. The reason why because if we say that when we concede we are not strong enough. I think set-pieces there are teams that they score more goals less goals but at the end set-pieces you are going to score and concede goals because there are actions that are so difficult to defend.

One of the tactics tweaks that you do in-game, sometimes you move Romeo Lavia or Moises Caicedo to join the centre-backs. What's the rationale behind that and what role do you want them to play when they move into the back-line?

It depends on how the other team rests, where we can find space, where we can find solutions. Sometimes it's also to move a midfielder from that area because it's traffic, many players there, so we want to move some players out from that area. It depends a little bit on, as I said, on how the other team rests.

Have you been working on defending long-throw-ins? Because Spurs use them a lot...

Yeah, and then we are working on that. For sure we are working. For sure.

Did Delap apologise post-match?

Straight after the game in the changing room, yeah.

And did he apologise to the teammates as well?

In the changing room after the game, he apologised to everyone.

And Cole Palmer, is he still on course to be back at the end of this month?

I just met him in the canteen for breakfast and I told him, I will say that in one week you are back. He was laughing. Now with Cole, exactly the same plan. Wait and hopefully he can be back soon.