Forget the Jose Mourinho comparisons - Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca already risks undermining his own authority with self-contradictions

Having only really just gotten down to work in his new role, Maresca is already proving to be a divisive figure, with different factions emerging among match-going fans and those who peddle their opinions online.

A lot of those differences centre around whether the Italian should be supported by the fans no matter what as his time at the club gets under way, or whether supporters are within their rights to voice their frustrations with the way the club is being run despite his tenure being in its infancy.

That was reflected as some sections of Stamford Bridge chanted Conor Gallagher's name in protest in each of Chelsea's first two games of the season, after the academy graduate - who has become a fan favourite and was regularly stand-in captain last season - was effectively forced out of the club.

The question is whether the head coach is simply a mouthpiece for the ownership who is charged with defending their interests and decisions, or whether he has been given the power to make his own choices - but some early contradictions threaten to undermine his authority and make him something of a laughing stock as some label him a 'puppet' online.

Maresca's handling of the Raheem Sterling situation certainly raised eyebrows; speaking during pre-season, he said of the winger: "For sure, he is one of our important players, together with the rest."

Fast-forward three weeks and that stance had changed dramatically, as the 29-year-old was left out of the matchday squad for the Blues' Premier League opener against Man City and subsequently exiled from the first-team squad alongside Ben Chilwell.

"[Sterling and Chilwell] are training apart," Maresca revealed. "We have a big squad and it's impossible to give all of them minutes. If they are looking for minutes it's better for them to leave. It's not brutal, it's just honest." He added: "I am not saying Raheem is not a good player, but I prefer different kinds of wingers."

It was a U-turn that smacked of an intervention from above, with the club likely - and perhaps understandably - keen to shift his burdensome £325,000-per-week wages. But whatever the motivation and whether or not it was justified, this flip-flop has thrown the new head coach's authority into doubt.

'Brutal' seems to the buzzword in the early days of Maresca's reign; countless headlines have used it in reference to his treatment of the likes of Gallagher, Sterling, Chilwell and Trevoh Chalobah - all of whom have been made to train separately as their futures are taken out of their hands - and the tactician has already been forced to defend his words and actions.

He said in a recent press conference: "I am here to make decisions and decide what the best is for the team. I am not here to talk about how many years contract. It’s not my job. If it’s six year contract, or a 20-year contract, I don’t care. I’m just here to make the right decisions for the team."

However, even that assertion is at odds with his words from pre-season, where he blamed the controversial decision to sell Cobham graduates like Gallagher and Chalobah on the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). "The clubs are compelled to sell [academy] players because of the rules," he said. "It's not a Chelsea problem, it is a Premier League problem. The intention from Chelsea is not to sell - but the rules in the end make us. If we want to promote academy players - yes, change the rule."

Chelsea, and by proxy Maresca, have been ridiculed as their frenzied transfer business (11 new arrivals to date) has seen the number of players on their books to soar beyond 40. However, the head coach arguably hasn't helped the situation by defending the approach and not acknowledging the absurdity of the club owning so many players, even if they aren't in the first-team picture.

"The noise is more outside, because I'm working with 21 or 22 players," he said recently. "I'm not working with 42 or 43 players. You like to say we have 42 or 43 players but more than 15 players are training apart, they are not with the team.

"Today's session is with 20 players. Yesterday's session was with 21. But the other 15 or 20, they are training apart. Chelsea players, yes, 42 or 43, sure, but they are not working with me every day. I don't see them so it's not a mess like it looks from outside. Absolutely not."

This flimsy defence of the haphazard approach to the window by those above him in the hierarchy will do little to dispel the accusations that he is simply acting as a mouthpiece for Boehly and Co.

Whether or not it is some sort of ploy only Maresca will know, but his bullishness in press conferences will probably serve him well with some sections of the Chelsea fanbase who are endeared to a no-nonsense, spiky demeanour.

In particular, his comments about 'not caring' about the length of a player's contract struck a chord, with supporters online drawing comparisons to the barbed press conferences of a prime Mourinho.

"Shades of Jose," one account with more than 300,000 followers posted. "Enzo Maresca is BRUTAL, we’ve not seen comments like these since Jose Mourinho," another wrote to their 380,000 followers. Another shared: "Enzo Maresca is the no-nonsense manager we've been looking for since Jose Mourinho, we've found him."

Whether this is pure delusion (likely) or they are actually onto something (unlikely), there are signs that Maresca is capturing the imagination with his matter-of-fact, assertive approach to the media, but results will have to follow.

The problem for Maresca is that, so far, things have failed to gel on the pitch. It is, of course, early days, but a disappointing pre-season where the Blues managed just one victory from six games preceded a somewhat inevitable 2-0 opening day Premier League defeat to champions Manchester City.

Chelsea weren't terrible in the day, but they were undoubtedly outclassed by their opponents as the chasm between the two clubs - and indeed the task facing the Blues if they want to get back to the upper echelons of the division - was laid bare.

But despite a creditable performance, there were the early signs of unrest in the stands as vast swathes of the watching crowd grew impatient with the risky build-up from the back that Maresca insists upon, with audible jeers and boos ringing out at times.

Chelsea collected their first competitive win under the Italian on Thursday night in the first leg of their Conference League qualification play-off against Servette, but another unconvincing display provoked more disquiet in the stands as the hosts were booed off at half-time with the score goalless.

"The message is quite clear: We are in a moment where we are learning how to manage the game," Maresca said afterwards. "The intention to keep the ball is the correct one, especially when you are 2-0 up. So the intention is good but probably where is not good. We tried to manage the ball in the last 10 or 15 minutes on our side but we need to try to do exactly the same on the opposite side.

"I can understand but the important thing is to win the game. Clean sheet, we did nine changes."

The message from the paying faithful is clear too, it seems. Although Maresca has clearly curried some favour and should have time on his side, he needs to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, if he wants to forge his own path at Stamford Bridge and shake the tag of 'puppet'.