But the identity that Maresca’s trying to instill — seemingly at the behest of his superiors — is an identity that is very hard to readily engage with as a fan. And when results are not there in the end to justify the means, there’s little reason to expect that engagement to increase (at least not in a positive way).

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca admits supporters are of vital importance to all football clubs, especially when they enter the business end of a season.