Frank Lampard insisted he is coping with the pressure that has come with his toughest spell as Chelsea manager and said his years as a player at the club prepared him for it.
After a 17-match unbeaten run in all competitions, Chelsea have lost four of their last six league games, going from first to ninth to bring suggestions that Lampard’s job could be under threat.
The 42-year-old, who accepted recent results have not been good enough, played for nine different managers during his playing career at Stamford Bridge, which gave him a grounding in the club’s trigger-happy culture.
“I am feeling fine,” he said. “I was very aware when I came into this job, and I think at any big club, you have to understand that pressure will come very quickly at times and pressure is constantly there.
“I felt pressure in our good run or last season when expectations were lower for us and I felt we overachieved. It is very normal. I have been here as a player for a long time. It focuses my concentration completely on how to get us results. In the last few games we know it has not been good enough.”
No Chelsea manager has kept his job in the Roman Abramovich era after failing to qualify for the Champions League and only Lampard and Jose Mourinho have survived a season that did not bring a trophy. Expectations were increased after Chelsea were Europe’s biggest spenders last summer but they have fewer points than at this stage last season.
But Lampard believes the crowded fixture list has made it harder to integrate new signings. Chelsea beat Morecambe in the FA Cup on Sunday but have had two free midweeks, a rarity for them, since the 3-1 loss to Manchester City.
“I know the rules in football,” he said. “If you have young or new players you need time to work. We had that last season. Even with the young squad and some areas that were imbalanced we had a long pre-season and some time to work. Those two weeks have given us a chance to refocus on the basics of our game.”
One of those new recruits, Timo Werner, scored 34 goals for RB Leipzig last season, but was on a 12-game drought before finding the net against League Two Morecambe.
Lampard was adamant Chelsea will see the best of the £47 million ($64m) forward but noted that less can be demanded of big buys at other clubs immediately.
“A lot of players that come into this league are given time to come in and out, like players at Liverpool in recent years, to feel how the team plays,” he said.
_____________________________________________________________________
Chelsea 4 Morecambe 0: player ratings
-
CHELSEA RATINGS: Kepa Arrizabalaga - 6: Almost caught out by miss-hit Phillips cross that the Spanish goalkeeper had to claw back from the goalline. Forced to scramble ball away again when Havertz flicked a header towards his own goal in opening 25 minutes. Bar that, nothing to do. PA -
Cesar Azpilicueta - 7: Partnership with Ziyech down right never really got going until later in first half. Fantastic cross to set-up Havertz for fourth goal. Getty -
Kurt Zouma - 7: Big centre-half enjoyed a relaxing day at the office as Morecambe offered very little attacking threat. AFP -
Antonio Rudiger - 7: Frustrated with himself when he found space in the box but volleyed over soon after Mount’s opening goal. An untroubled afternoon at the back. AFP -
Emerson - 7: Full-back had his eye on a goal from the start and one long-range drive almost made it 2-0 but was denied by Halstead. Always looking to push forward as little to do the other way. Getty -
Mason Mount - 8: Birthday boy cracked a superb low drive from edge of area found the bottom corner to open the scoring after 18 minutes. Sprayed the ball around well but not extactly put under much pressure. Reuters -
Billy Gilmour - 7: Bundle of energy in middle of park as Chelsea passed ball around like a training game. A comfortable 90 minutes under his belt. AFP -
Kai Havertz - 7: Relieved to see header in his own box scrambled away by Kepa and avoid a nightmare own goal. Then weak attempt at header at other end when well placed in middle. Then made it third time lucky in the air with an excellent attacking header to make it 4-0 with five minutes to go and secure his first goal since October. AFP -
Hakim Ziyech - 7: Relatively quiet until his curling cross from right helped set-up Werner goal just before break then his perfect ball over top was finished by Hudson-Odai four minutes into second half. Will be glad of the game time after recent injury problems. Getty -
Callum Hudson-Odoi. - 6: A danger when running at the Morecambe defence but didn’t always look comfortable as a right-footer playing down left. Final ball not great at times. Powered home third despite poor first touch after Ziyech’s perfect through-ball. Reuters -
Timo Werner - 6: Struggling for goals and must have feared the worst after missing two chances in first half hour. Ended his two-month drought from two metres out when Havertz headed across goal just before half-time. Still long way off top gear. Reuters -
SUBS: Christian Pulisic – (On for Ziyech 68’) 5: Will have been disappointed not to score when he was first to rebound after Halstead saved from Havertz, only for the goalkeeper to then keep out the American's shot as well. PA -
Olivier Giroud – (On for Werner 68’) 5: Frustrated not to score with couple of half-chances. PA -
Tammy Abraham – (On for Mount 74’) 5: No real threat after coming on. Fikayo Tomori – (On for Zouma 80’) N/A. Tino Anjorin – (On for Hudson-Odoi 80’) N/A. PA -
MORECAMBE RATINGS: Mark Halstead - 7: Good stop when Emerson’s long-range strike bounced in front of him but was able to parry it wide. Got hand to third goal from Hudson-Odai but couldn’t keep shot out. No chance with other three. Fantastic double save from Havertz and Mount with 20 minutes left. Reuters -
Stephen Hendrie - 4: Left-back up against a top-class talent in Ziyech who became more and more of threat as the game went on. Taken off just after hour mark. -
Harry Davis - 6: A couple of good blocks at the near post to prevent low crosses coming across six-yard box in first half. Got an end of Wildig free-kick in second half but header looped gently to Kepa. Out-jumped by Havertz for final goal but some good defending stopped Abrahams scoring a fifth in injury-time. Reuters -
Nathaniel Knight-Percival - 6: Had helped keep Werner relatively quiet until German tapped home the second after 44 minutes. He and centre-half partner Davis were certainly not daunted by their expensively assembled opponents. AFP -
Ryan Cooney - 4: His long throw was almost headed into his own net by Havertz in first half. Played Havertz onside which allowed the German to set up countryman Werner for second goal. PA -
Yann Songo'o - 5: A thankless task sitting in front of the defence while Mount and Gilmour buzzed around the centre of midfield. Never stopped battling for 90 minutes. -
Aaron Wildig - 5: Threw himself into block when Mount shot at goal early on but then failed to do the same after 18 minutes and the Blues midfielder was able to fire home unchallenged on edge of box to make it 1-0. Getty -
Adam Phillips - 6: Midfielder on loan from Premier League Burnley, almost opened the scoring when his cross-cum-shot almost found its way past Kepa after 10 minutes. Volleyed one tame shot straight at Kepa. PA -
Jordan Slew - 5: Midfielder performed in more defensive role on the right up against the attacking duo of Hudon-Odoi and Emerson. Looked shattered in first half against relentless Chelsea attacks and was taken off just after hour mark. Reuters -
Carlos Mendes Gomes - 5: The former Atletico Madrid academy player was left for dead by Ziyech down the Morecambe left, midway through first half. Been in good form but never had opportunity to shine. Getty -
Cole Stockton - 5: Ploughed a lonely furrow up front. Did set-up Phillips for half-chance in first half. AFP -
SUBS: Kelvin Mellor – (On for Cooney 62’) 5: Helped prevent Chelsea goals onslaught with only one more added to scoreline after he came on Liam Gibson – (On for Hendrie 62’) 4: Picked up booking for foul on Hudson-Odoi. John O’Sullivan – (On for Slew 62’) 5: Chasing shadows as Chelsea dominated possession. Brad Lyons – (On for Mendes Gomes 74’) 5: New loan signing from Blackburn had no chance to make any impact. -
Liam McAlinden - (On for Stockton 86') N/A.
_____________________________________________________________________
“With Timo, we didn’t have that opportunity. We bought Timo and others to make an impact in our first team straight away but people have to be patient with the idea that we will maximise Timo’s talents in this team and that is a two-way street. It is very normal it will take time for Timo to see what my idea is and his team-mates’ idea is.”
Chelsea face Fulham on Saturday at the start of a run of seven games, five of them against bottom-half teams, but with their local rivals in form. “They have drawn with Liverpool and Tottenham so it will be a tough game,” Lampard said.
It pits Lampard against a former Chelsea and England team-mate, in Fulham manager Scott Parker, whose prowess in the dugout comes as no surprise to him.
“He's diligent, has a good football brain, very determined, wants to do well in everything he does, he prepares right,” he said. “Everything he did as a player made me think Scott could go on to management.”
A modern-day Chelsea midfielder, N’Golo Kante, is suspended, but Lampard can welcome back a fit-again Reece James and Andreas Christensen.
Fikayo Tomori, who has not featured in the Premier League since September, is unlikely to be involved. Chelsea are likely to loan him out, but Lampard maintained the defender’s Chelsea career is not over.
“He absolutely has a long-term future,” he said. “There is a long-term plan for Fikayo in my head and if he goes out on loan it will be to enhance his personal development and come back as a better player.”
______________________________________________________________________
Gallery: Chelsea 1 Manchester City 3
-
Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team's opening goal in their 3-1 Premier League win over Chelsea in January. EPA -
Phil Foden celebrates scoring Manchester City's second goal. Reuters -
Chelsea's Timo Werner attemtps to tackle Ruben Dias of Manchester City. EPA -
Kevin de Bruyne celebrates scoring Manchester City's third goal. EPA -
Chelsea striker Timo Werner is tackled by City's Ruben Dias at Stamford Bridge. AFP -
Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan under pressure from Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic. AFP -
Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta puts City midfielder Phil Foden under pressure. AFP -
Chelsea's manager Frank Lampard. EPA -
Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta and Phil Foden of City challenge for a header. EPA -
Kevin de Bruyne celebrates scoring his City's third goal. EPA
