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Chelsea Caretaker manager Calum McFarlane has admitted the last 24 hours have been “crazy” and “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 head coach of the Blues’ under-21 side, is expected 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 apparently due to a breakdown in relations with the club’s hierarchy.
French point of sale The Team 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 draw against Sunderland on Thursday, it will be McFarlane, 40, in the dugout.
“It’s been a crazy 24 hours,” said McFarlane, who has never taken charge of a senior professional match.
“A whirlwind, as you can imagine. But also very enjoyable and really exciting. I can only be happy with it. It’s an incredible experience.
“I’m pretty relaxed about it if I’m honest. I’m sure as I get closer to the game it might get more nerve-wracking, more intimidating, but I’ve never worked at this level before, but the guys today were brilliant and that gives you confidence that we’re all in this together and it’s a team effort.”
McFarlane insisted he could only “speak positively” of Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, who have been criticized for their management of the club, and said the players remained focused on the task at hand this weekend.
“They [the players] seem really focused. They are really motivated and hungry. They know we have a huge game on Sunday and we will have to be at our best. You can feel it.
“It’s always embarrassing when an interim comes in and it’s more for them than us. It’s about them producing the level of performance they’ve achieved before against the top teams.
“We’ve had some good results this year and we know what this team is capable of. My message to them is to bring the best version of themselves and be all together and believe that we can succeed in the next few days and hopefully put in a good performance on Sunday.”
