Ruud Gullit has claimed that Chelsea striker Liam Delap was ‘not happy’ with starting as a right winger during the Blues’ Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg clash against Arsenal.
Manager Liam Rosenior tweaked his formation for the clash, deploying a 3-5-2 setup that saw Delap play in an unusual right-wing role. The former Ipswich Town man, however, struggled to impact the game as Chelsea suffered a last-gasp 1-0 defeat at the Emirates, losing 4-2 on aggregate.
Speaking to Gambling Insider, Gullit admitted that Rosenior’s decision to play Delap as a right winger was tactical but claimed the striker looked out of place and was not pleased to be played out of position. He said:
“Liam Delap was not happy with starting on the right wing against Arsenal. It’s clear that Liam Rosenior played him there so they could launch long balls to him, but he looked totally out of place. I know it was all tactical, but I don’t think Delap looked happy about it at all. If you get the ball into the box, then Delap will do his best to get on the end of it, but when you’re asking him to drop deeper into midfield or out wide, then it’s a different story. It’s a pity that Delap didn’t play closer to Joao Pedro, because the Brazilian looked all on his own up front. I feel like that would have helped both players if they started in attack together.”
During his 60-minute outing, Delap hardly contributed anything meaningful in attack and was subsequently criticized by fans for his display.
Gullit says Chelsea lacked ‘creativity’ in Carabao Cup second-leg defeat to Arsenal
Gullit also said Chelsea were deficient in creativity throughout the match, insisting they didn’t have the firepower to break down Arsenal’s defense. He added:
“Chelsea took too long to be brave against Arsenal last night. When Cole Palmer and Estevao came on, it looked a little bit better, but that was also because Arsenal themselves began to withdraw as the game went on. Chelsea didn’t have the firepower to get close to Arsenal – they barely had any shots on goal. I understood Liam Rosenior’s setup to try and not concede for as long as possible away from home, but there was no creativity throughout the match – nothing at all. Arsenal defended well and barely gave them any chances – they were never outplayed in the game.”
The Blues will look to bounce back from the setback when they face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday, February 7.