Enzo Maresca has criticised his team’s delayed response after conceding twice during their 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest, describing it as a significant mistake that made recovering from the setback more difficult. According to a post shared by Fabrizio Romano on X on Saturday, November 7, 2026, the manager believes his players should have reacted much earlier in the contest.

Maresca explained that his team only showed greater urgency after going two goals behind, allowing the situation to become considerably more challenging. He argued that waiting until opponents establish such an advantage can leave a side with insufficient time to change the outcome.

“Today, the big mistake has been we tried to react after we conceded two,” the manager said.

The coach emphasised that teams must recognise when a match is beginning to turn against them and respond before the scoreline becomes difficult to overturn. In his view, allowing opponents to score twice before making a serious effort to recover is often a costly approach.

“And in football, most of the time, it's too late,” he added.

Maresca’s assessment underlines the importance of maintaining concentration throughout a match and reacting quickly when opponents begin to gain control. Rather than allowing pressure to build, players must identify problems early and make the necessary adjustments to prevent the opposition from establishing a commanding position.

Conceding multiple goals can place a team under considerable pressure, particularly when it is then forced to abandon its original approach and chase the result. The additional urgency can make it harder to maintain organisation, while opponents may become more comfortable protecting their advantage.

The manager’s comments also highlight that determination alone is not always enough to produce a comeback. The timing of a response can be equally important, as teams need to act before the deficit becomes too large.

Although Maresca did not identify the specific incidents that contributed to his side’s slow reaction, he made clear that the timing of their response was a major concern. The defeat to Nottingham Forest therefore provided an important lesson about the need for greater awareness and urgency when matches begin to move away from a team.

For Maresca, the priority will be ensuring his players learn from the experience and avoid repeating the same mistake in future fixtures. Reacting immediately to setbacks, rather than waiting until the situation deteriorates, will be essential if the team wants to remain competitive and improve its results.