17 hours ago, evissy said:

Good finish and I love the way he used that big frame. Basically Jackson could do that as well as he is big also but he doesn't have a very big brain.

I think that's something we all agree on.

It is a joy to watch a striker who has a brain, and has had a footballing education - to the extent that he knows where he should be on the pitch. The little runs he makes, the touches (normal passes - not fancy flicks or backheels), knowing when to drop deep, when to go wide etc... just look at the way he took his (disallowed) goal...

Having watched you know who for too long - I am actually enjoying watching some decent striker play.

Imagine if he actually had some decent service.

1 hour ago, dermott said:

Imagine if he actually had some decent service.

Blame home bargin Pep the slow boring build up doesn’t help our forwards and it allows the opposition to get into position easily

This kid has a lot of potential. If we could have Drogba tutor him, he'd be a couple of levels higher in months

Early days ... and definitely a work in progress.

One big thing he has going for him is that he isn't Jackson, and hence he can do stuff that Jackson would routinely get slaughtered for, and get a free pass with the fanbase.

Liam Delap vs Benfica for example :

• 81 Minutes Played

• Touches 17

• Goals 0

• Assists 0

• Total shots 0

• Offsides 2

• Accurate passes 4/10(40%)

• Successful dribbles 0/2 (0%)

• Ground duels won 0/4 (0%)

• Aerial duels won 0/1 (0%)

Not exactly impressive, regardless of how well he finished a move in which he was offside to start with ...

Still think he needs to be #2 striker and we need to being in someone more experienced ahead of him. Not likely to happen given the optics of him getting the #9 shirt though.

2 hours ago, Sexyfootball said:

Early days ... and definitely a work in progress.

One big thing he has going for him is that he isn't Jackson, and hence he can do stuff that Jackson would routinely get slaughtered for, and get a free pass with the fanbase.

Liam Delap vs Benfica for example :

• 81 Minutes Played

• Touches 17

• Goals 0

• Assists 0

• Total shots 0

• Offsides 2

• Accurate passes 4/10(40%)

• Successful dribbles 0/2 (0%)

• Ground duels won 0/4 (0%)

• Aerial duels won 0/1 (0%)

Not exactly impressive, regardless of how well he finished a move in which he was offside to start with ...

Still think he needs to be #2 striker and we need to being in someone more experienced ahead of him. Not likely to happen given the optics of him getting the #9 shirt though.

Im one of the biggest Jackson apologists around, I think hes got the potential to go on and be a cracking player if he can sort some things out, but even last night it was clear what Delap is going to give us that Jackson doesn't. I'd also probably argue that Delap would get a free pass for last night considering he's hardly played competitively for us.

I agree, I don't look at Delap and Jackson as a set of striker options that screams title winning, but I think they compliment eachother well and Delap looks like he has huge scope to make massive improvements in a very short space of time. I also have huge doubts over any realistically achievable striker alternative on the market actually coming here and making any sort of impact.

21 hours ago, Sexyfootball said:

Early days ... and definitely a work in progress.

One big thing he has going for him is that he isn't Jackson, and hence he can do stuff that Jackson would routinely get slaughtered for, and get a free pass with the fanbase.

Liam Delap vs Benfica for example :

• 81 Minutes Played

• Touches 17

• Goals 0

• Assists 0

• Total shots 0

• Offsides 2

• Accurate passes 4/10(40%)

• Successful dribbles 0/2 (0%)

• Ground duels won 0/4 (0%)

• Aerial duels won 0/1 (0%)

Not exactly impressive, regardless of how well he finished a move in which he was offside to start with ...

Still think he needs to be #2 striker and we need to being in someone more experienced ahead of him. Not likely to happen given the optics of him getting the #9 shirt though.

Personally, Jackson had 2 years with the team. Delap had like 2 games

On 29/06/2025 at 21:32, Sexyfootball said:

Early days ... and definitely a work in progress.

One big thing he has going for him is that he isn't Jackson, and hence he can do stuff that Jackson would routinely get slaughtered for, and get a free pass with the fanbase.

Liam Delap vs Benfica for example :

• 81 Minutes Played

• Touches 17

• Goals 0

• Assists 0

• Total shots 0

• Offsides 2

• Accurate passes 4/10(40%)

• Successful dribbles 0/2 (0%)

• Ground duels won 0/4 (0%)

• Aerial duels won 0/1 (0%)

Not exactly impressive, regardless of how well he finished a move in which he was offside to start with ...

Still think he needs to be #2 striker and we need to being in someone more experienced ahead of him. Not likely to happen given the optics of him getting the #9 shirt though.

Delap looks liks a better goalscorer than jackson but not as good as Jackson doing the other stuff.

Maybe Pedro is coming in to play off of Delap, with Palmer off on the right? Pedro's link-up play looks very good, and he looks to be a lot stronger than Nkunku. Jackson could possibly play this role too.

3 minutes ago, Bob stark said:

Delap looks liks a better goalscorer than jackson but not as good as Jackson doing the other stuff.

Haven't yet seen Liam elbow a CB in the face so I think it's too early to cast judgement.

Just now, Hessleboink said:

Maybe Pedro is coming in to play off of Delap, with Palmer off on the right? Pedro's link-up play looks very good, and he looks to be a lot stronger than Nkunku. Jackson could possibly play this role too.

With Enzo already turning up as a ten. Every possibility of an ongoing jumble with, still, no one scoring.

10 minutes ago, Hessleboink said:

Maybe Pedro is coming in to play off of Delap, with Palmer off on the right? Pedro's link-up play looks very good, and he looks to be a lot stronger than Nkunku. Jackson could possibly play this role too.

This is the way.

Whole signing is confusing given the situation. He loves Enzo in those spaces and he never plays Palmer out wide.

7 minutes ago, dermott said:

With Enzo already turning up as a ten. Every possibility of an ongoing jumble with, still, no one scoring.

True. He seems to have really hit form, but I also think we look like a better team with Lavia playing - so maybe in the big games it's one of Delap/Pedro/Jackson.
At home though against a low blow, the aerial presence of both Delap and Pedro should hopefully make us more dangerous though. Maybe Lavia sits those ones out, or we see Caicedo at RB again.

6 minutes ago, Hessleboink said:

True. He seems to have really hit form, but I also think we look like a better team with Lavia playing - so maybe in the big games it's one of Delap/Pedro/Jackson.
At home though against a low blow, the aerial presence of both Delap and Pedro should hopefully make us more dangerous though. Maybe Lavia sits those ones out, or we see Caicedo at RB again.

I think this is the key against those low blocks. The numerical advantages it creates with the way Maresca sets us up could be seen a lot more.

Fofana Colwill Cucurella

Caicedo Lavia

Palmer Enzo Pedro Gittens

Delap

4 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I think this is the key against those low blocks. The numerical advantages it creates with the way Maresca sets us up could be seen a lot more.

Fofana Colwill Cucurella

Caicedo Lavia

Palmer Enzo Pedro Gittens

Delap

On paper, it looks promising. I wonder if we'll ever see James playing as a RCB, similar to Azpi under Conte.

Just now, Hessleboink said:

On paper, it looks promising. I wonder if we'll ever see James playing as a RCB, similar to Azpi under Conte.

In this set up I don't know. I only put Fofana, or Chalobah, given their recovery pace and ability to cover the ground the RB leaves. We aren't going to see Palmer/Gittens behave like traditional wingbacks.

Edited July 1, 20251 yr by Sconnie Blue

52 minutes ago, Bob stark said:

Delap looks liks a better goalscorer than jackson but not as good as Jackson doing the other stuff.

What other stuff is that? Tripping over his own feet and then sulking a lot?

1 hour ago, Bob stark said:

Delap looks liks a better goalscorer than jackson but not as good as Jackson doing the other stuff.

the other stuff???

Red Cards?

Offsides?

Sulky faces?

Which is it!?

3 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I think this is the key against those low blocks. The numerical advantages it creates with the way Maresca sets us up could be seen a lot more.

Fofana Colwill Cucurella

Caicedo Lavia

Palmer Enzo Pedro Gittens

Delap

Fofana isn't a footballer and RJ should be the first name on every team sheet. If Palmer is on the right he needs someone overlapping.

I imagine the rest of it it pretty bang on other than Neto probably starts.

We are all desperate for Delap to succeed, and it's early days yet, but he needs to start scoring, despite his goal, he's not getting any service and seems to be dropping back and hunting for the ball instead of us providing him with chances.

Being better than Jackson isn't enough, and if we sell Jacko and Nkunku, it's gonna be all down to him..

Come on you BLUES !

47 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

We are all desperate for Delap to succeed, and it's early days yet, but he needs to start scoring, despite his goal, he's not getting any service and seems to be dropping back and hunting for the ball instead of us providing him with chances.

Being better than Jackson isn't enough, and if we sell Jacko and Nkunku, it's gonna be all down to him..

Come on you BLUES !

I think this is the issue with the slow build up though, it gives opposition time to set up and two CB's can nullify a single ST easily.

12 minutes ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

I think this is the issue with the slow build up though, it gives opposition time to set up and two CB's can nullify a single ST easily.

True in general but they moved it quickly v Palmeiras in the first half. With better anticipation from one of (I think) Neto's crosses he had a tap in. Seems to me at the moment he's like a kid let loose in a sweet shop, having a ball, can't believe his luck. Needs to focus, to stop playing the bully. It's understandable, he has come a very long way in a short time. The raw material is there.

On 01/07/2025 at 12:47, Bob stark said:

Delap looks liks a better goalscorer than jackson but not as good as Jackson doing the other stuff.

I agree - Delap looks far worse at making awful runs, getting caught offside, losing the ball and getting sent off. Jackson is far better at all those things Bobby

On 06/07/2025 at 18:15, The Rising Sun said:

We are all desperate for Delap to succeed, and it's early days yet, but he needs to start scoring, despite his goal, he's not getting any service and seems to be dropping back and hunting for the ball instead of us providing him with chances.

Being better than Jackson isn't enough, and if we sell Jacko and Nkunku, it's gonna be all down to him..

Come on you BLUES !

Nothing to do with Delap and everything to do with Maresca. He has no intention of the striker being anywhere near the box, and it's why we targeted 'playmaker' no. 9s like Ekitike and Joao Pedro.

Maresca has now repeatedly stated this:

‘For sure, I think Joao, Liam and Nico, the ones we have in this moment, they know exactly about being the No.9 at Chelsea,’ Maresca said during his pre-match press conference.

‘I have said many times, in my mind and idea, I prefer to have four or five players scoring 10 or 12 goals each than one player scoring 40 goals.

This idea has never worked in football. Even Guardiola's teams have consistely had a 25+ goal scorer. You absolutely need at least two players getting the lion's share of the goals to induce a jeopardy, otherwise opposing teams will simply adjust their marking schemes accordingly.