Former Chelsea striker, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, has attributed Liam Delap’s goal drought to a dip in confidence amid a difficult debut season at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea secured Delap’s signature for £30 million from Ipswich Town last summer, fending off interest from several Premier League sides.
Expectations were high following an impressive campaign in which the young forward netted 12 league goals.
However, the step up has proven challenging. Delap has managed just one Premier League goal this season and only two across all competitions in 36 appearances, highlighting his struggles to adapt.
The striker’s barren run has now stretched beyond 20 matches, with his last goal coming in a 2-1 defeat to Fulham on January 7.
His latest outing against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday did little to ease concerns, as he delivered another underwhelming performance.
Former defender Jamie Carragher has suggested the move to Chelsea may have come too soon for Delap, a view that appears supported by his struggles this term.
Delap has largely played a supporting role behind João Pedro throughout the campaign, limiting his opportunities to build momentum.
Hasselbaink believes the inconsistency in game time has contributed significantly to the young striker’s loss of form.
“I think for him it’s confidence,” he told talkSPORT (via chelsea.news).
“When you’re out there and you’re not having any rhythm, you know, then he plays, then he doesn’t, then he gets ten minutes, then he doesn’t.
“When you are not scoring and it’s taking a long time you get to doubt yourself.
“I think needs he needs coaching because here and there I think he can be in better positions, but I think majority is it is self-belief, it’s confidence.
“You don’t lose your ability from one day to another you don’t become all of a sudden a bad player from one day to another. So, it’s all in the head.”
