I really liked his honesty - John Terry speaks on Enzo Maresca

Chelsea legend John Terry has praised manager Enzo Maresca for his cautious approach last season while urging the Blues to shift their mindset towards challenging for the Premier League title in the new campaign.

Maresca, who took charge of Chelsea ahead of last season, tempered expectations despite a strong start, citing the youthfulness and inexperience of his squad.

His reluctance to label Chelsea as title contenders drew mixed reactions at the time, but Terry believes the Italian’s stance was the right one.

Speaking to The Sun, the former Blues captain said he admired Maresca’s candour with both players and fans.

“I really liked the honesty from the manager because the message is clear to the players, we’re not there yet,” Terry noted.

He continued, “If you walk into the dressing room and say, ‘We’ve got a chance this year,’ then the players will think exactly that. I think this year his message will be different.”

Reflecting on Chelsea’s performance last season, Terry said Maresca’s assessment matched reality, pointing out that the team was still in a transitional phase.

“He was right because we were young, and results were a bit up and down. Right now, we’re clearly building and moving in the right direction,” the former England international explained.

Terry was clear that the club must now approach the season with the ambition to reclaim domestic dominance sooner rather than later.

“I’m not saying I want to wait five years to win another Premier League. We’ve got to go into it with the mindset that we have to try to win the league this year. Without a doubt. And there are other big competitions too, you fight until the very end until it’s no longer possible,” he added.

Chelsea open their Premier League campaign this weekend agaisnt Crystal Palace.