Maresca's convincing display bringing Chelsea fans closer to the team - Paul Vegas

The Blues are soaring in the top four after a fantastic season beginning.

Maresca told the club's website: "(Fans' relationship) is very important. I really like it at home and away but if we can build something important with them at home, I think it will be fantastic for us because we need them during the season, for sure, like we needed them the other day (against Nottingham Forest). We needed them for the last push and we were very close. We didn’t win but they were there supporting us.

"For the fans, it is nice to be proud of the players. When you see your team and your players fighting and trying to win the game, it is a good moment for the fans.

"This is what we ask of the players: ‘Just go outside and give everything because there are fans there that want to be proud of you’, and this is what they are doing now."

He added, "The international window gives you time to reflect. When there are so many games, sometimes you don’t stop to think about it.

"I try day by day to see how we can do things better and at the end, if you focus on how to improve the players and the team, that is how we like it and try to do it with every session. 

"Like all of the staff, we are hard workers and especially we are opened-minded. We are always looking for new things, looking at different football in different countries and always looking (to improve) more and more."