According to TA reports, Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca got angry and severely criticized the team's disciplinary issues after the team's 4-3 victory over Wolves in the League Cup. In Delap's first game back from injury, he received two yell...
According to TA reports, Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca got angry and severely criticized the team's disciplinary issues after the team's 4-3 victory over Wolves in the League Cup.
In Delap's first game back from injury, he received two yellow cards and was sent off within 7 minutes. This was Chelsea's fifth red card in the last 9 games. Maresca called Delap's behavior embarrassing and accused him of playing football for himself.
The article analyzed that Maresca’s uncharacteristic public criticism was a major change in his previous moderate stance. Previously, Maresca has been reluctant to publicly admit that there are disciplinary problems in the team. He has been tolerant of Sanchez and Chalobah; he has also been sympathetic or conciliatory to the red cards of Joao Pedro and Gusteau.
Maresca has previously compared his management style to educating children, saying that he does not like to punish players, but likes to help them understand and correct. The article believes that Maresca himself was sent off against Liverpool this month, which may be part of the reason why he downplayed disciplinary issues before.
Delap's red card was the straw that broke the camel's back, because he will miss the league game against Tottenham, and Maresca needs him very much, even as a substitute.
Maresca's public outrage was seen as a moment to draw a line in the sand, signaling to the entire locker room that that soft stance was clearly not working and had to stop now.
