Chelsea fans have been told not to panic after a shock 4-1 defeat at the hands of Celtic on Saturday night in pre-season.
Chelsea were thrashed by Celtic on Saturday night after being hit for four in a friendly defeat at the Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana.
The Scottish champions made a mockery of their Premier League opponents with goals from Matt O’Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi, Luis Palma and Michael Johnston before Christopher Nkunku netted an 89th-minute penalty for the Blues.
But while the result has sparked pandemonium among the Chelsea fanbase, former Blues star Andy Townsend has told supporters now is no time to panic.
He said live on talkSPORT: “We shouldn’t pay too much attention to that. This is no time to start looking for the panic button just yet.
“Pre-season, I’ve had so many where everything is going swimmingly, everyone is playing well and getting on, new signings have come through the door and it’s all lovely.
“Then the season starts and you lose three or four out of your first five. That is time to panic.
“Nobody panics in pre-season, it is time to panic when the team has got off to a poor start and they are looking devoid of any ideas.”
Chelsea enjoyed more possession against Celtic but it was alarming how easily Celtic managed to cut through their defence.
It continues an iffy start to pre-season for new boss Enzo Maresca, whose first match in charge ended in a 1-1 draw against Wrexham earlier this month.
Star players such as Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez have yet to join up with the squad after being given extended breaks for their appearances at Euro 2024 and the Copa America.
But fans have still been left worried with some pointing the finger at Maresca already.
One fan wrote on social media site X: “Chelsea will be so lucky to finish in top 10 with this Maresca guy.”
Another put: “I feel ashamed being a Chelsea fan.”
And this fan said: “Defeat as expected. Better tell Todd Boehly to SACK Enzo Maresca immediately otherwise Chelsea are doomed.”
The Italian coach did not hide from the fact it was a poor result but insisted it will take time for his style to be implemented.
“Off the ball we need to improve things,” Maresca said. “You can see sometimes we confuse when we need to play short and when we need to play a little bit longer but that is part of the process.
“We maintained a high line but when the ball is not under pressure, you need to drop … we are still confusing some things on the ball and off the ball. It is normal in this moment when we are trying to do something new.”
News Summary:
- ‘Don’t panic’ – Chelsea fans warned after shock Celtic loss prompting supporter meltdown
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