Chelsea interim manager Calum McFarlane admitted the last 24 hours have been “crazy” and a “whirlwind” but insists the players will be ready to face Manchester City on Sunday, just three days after former boss Enzo Maresca parted ways with the club.
McFarlane, who is the head coach of the Blues’ Under-21s team, is set to take charge of the senior side for the trip to the Etihad following the departure of Maresca on New Year’s Day, whose exit, in part, was reportedly due to a breakdown in the relationship with the club’s hierarchy.
French outlet L’Equipe claim Chelsea are closing in on Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior but for the clash against Pep Guardiola’s men, who played out a goalless stalemate against Sunderland on Thursday, it will be 40-year-old McFarlane in the dugout.
“It’s been a crazy 24 hours,” said McFarlane, who has never taken charge of a senior professional game.
“A whirlwind, as you can imagine. But also really enjoyable and really exciting. I can only feel positive about it. It’s an amazing experience.
“I’m quite relaxed about it if I’m honest. I’m sure as I get closer to the game it will become maybe more nerve-wracking, more daunting but I haven’t worked at this level before of course but the lads today were brilliant and it fills you with confidence that we’re all in it together and it’s a team effort.”
McFarlane insisted he could only “speak positively” about Chelsea’s owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, who have come under criticism for their handling of the club, and said the players remain focussed on the task at hand this weekend.
“They [the players] seem really focused. They’re really driven and hungry. They know we’ve got a massive game on Sunday and we’re going to have to be at our best. You can feel that.
“It’s always awkward when an interim comes in and it’s more for them than it is for us. It’s about them producing the level of performance that they’ve done before against top sides.
“We’ve had some top results this year and we know what this side is capable of. My message to them is bringing the best version of themselves and being all in it together and believing that we can get the next couple of days right and hopefully put in a good performance on Sunday.”
