Chelsea turned in a dreadful performance as a team against Newcastle United, losing 1-0 with even stars like Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer playing horrendously in letting the Blues down in a crucial game for Champions League places.
But after the game, the player to earn the most vociferous criticism on social media from fans is striker Liam Delap. He has been terrible all season long, but these last few games have really reenforced the issue.
Watching Delap up top is like watching a rugby player or a clumsy center back trying to play striker. He thinks and moves so slowly and spends more time tussling with defenders rather than making good runs or passes.
Playing next to Delap as a forward is a death sentence, and all Chelsea fans think when he gets on the ball is, “How is he going to screw this play up next?” When he skies a shot, it isn’t a groan inducing move, but rather an expected outcome.
The Blues paid 30 million pounds to Ipswich Town for Delap. He has not even been worth that. Newcastle put Delap in his place and really exposed just how far off he is from being anywhere near the Chelsea level.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.