Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca didn’t hold back in his post-match comments after striker Liam Delap was sent off in the club’s dramatic 4-2 Carabao Cup fourth-round win against Wolves last night. The dismissal came as a major blow for the young forward, who had only recently returned from a long-term injury and was eager to prove himself, Softfootball reports.
The red card, which came after two quick yellow cards, drew immediate frustration from Maresca, who stressed the importance of maintaining composure and discipline , something his side has struggled with this season.
According to Fabrizio Romano via is official X handle, Maresca criticized Delap’s decision-making, revealing that he had repeatedly warned the player to stay calm after receiving his first booking, Romano shared;
Maresca: It’s a stupid red card. Delap should avoid that. After the yellow card, I told him four or five times to stay calm. When he is on the pitch, he sometimes plays the game for himself and struggles to see the others around him, says via @BobbyVincentFL.
Softfootball earlier published an opinion piece urging Chelsea players to stay disciplined and avoid reckless challenges, but this trend appears to be continuing, the Blues have now picked up five red cards in their last seven matches across all competitions.
Delap’s suspension will now rule him out of Chelsea’s upcoming fixture, a setback for both the player and the team as he was just regaining sharpness after his injury layoff. For Maresca, the focus will be on reinforcing discipline and composure within his youthful squad key traits the Italian believes are essential if Chelsea are to maintain consistency and challenge for trophies this season.
