"Sold three games" "A sackable offence" - Chelsea fans call out head coach Enzo Maresca following 2-0 defeat against Ipswich Town

Many Chelsea fans online have slammed head coach Enzo Maresca after the Blues lost 2-0 against Ipswich Town at Portman Road on December 30, 2024. It was their fourth league defeat this season and second on the trot.

While the visitors dominated ball possession (76%), they lacked clarity in the final third of the pitch. Out of the 20 attempted shots, Chelsea had only five on target. Their frontmen, especially Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke, lacked coordination in the game. Both had only one shot on target throughout the match.

Ipswich Town scored early courtesy of a penalty given away by goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen in the 12th minute. Despite diving the right way, Liam Delap bulged the net to take the lead.

Omari Hutchinson scored the second goal for The Tractor Boys in the 53rd minute. A mistake in the Blues defense was pounced upon by Delap, who squared it off to Hutchinson for an easy finish.

Several Chelsea fans lambasted Maresca online, criticizing his substitutions and overall strategy. Some even implored the club to dismiss the Italian tactician.

"MARESCA OUT, SOLD THREE GAMES," a fan wrote.

"Losing to Ipswich without getting a goal is a sackable offence," opined another.

One user criticized Maresca's in-game decisions, writing:

"Enzo Maresca’s decision making & in game management in the last 3 games has been horrific."

"Maresca’s terrible decisions with substitutions cost us the game, and he doesn’t find a solution we will see ourself in mid table again," agreed another.

Another Chelsea faithful slammed Christopher Nkunku and Axel Disasi, commenting:

"Maresca is on fraud watch & we need to ship Nkunku and Disasi out."

"This is hands down our worst performance of the season," inferred another fan.

After this loss, Chelsea are fourth in the Premier League table with 35 points in 19 games.

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When Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca waxed lyrical about Ipswich striker Liam Delap

Liam Delap - Premier League - Source: Getty

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca lavished praise on Ipswich striker Liam Delap before today's match. The 21-year-old Englishman joined The Tractor Boys this summer from Manchester City's U-21 side for a reported €17.85 million transfer fee.

At Manchester City U-21, Delap dominated the opposition with his penchant for finding the net. In 36 games for the side, he scored 35 goals and created nine more. For Ipswich Town, the Englishman has already racked up seven goals and two assists in 19 games.

Chelsea have reportedly been linked with a move for Delap. He played for Maresca's Manchester City's U-23 side in the 2020/21 season. On Friday, the Italian tactician spoke highly of Delap. He said (via @Blue_Footy on X):

"Liam is a fantastic player, we spent one year together. I think he scored 22 or 24 goals. This is a very good striker - works hard off the ball, on the ball, he understands the game and he can score goals. Because of his age, I think he can be an important player for England."

Delap's £20,000-a-week contract with Ipswich Town will continue till 2029. It remains to be seen if the Blues can sign the young English sensation in the upcoming transfer windows.