Tag: Lampard

  • Lampard calls out Chelsea squad for lack of training effort

    Lampard calls out Chelsea squad for lack of training effort

    Frank Lampard openly accused his Chelsea squad of not putting in enough effort during training throughout the season in the aftermath of their 4-1 loss to Manchester United on Thursday night.

    Despite a few positive moments early in the game, the team’s poor finishing in front of goal allowed Manchester United to exploit their weaknesses.

    Lampard acknowledged before the match that Chelsea’s overall “standards” had been declining, and he didn’t hold back when asked about his comments after the final whistle.

    He emphasized the importance of having strong foundational standards for any team to succeed in the Premier League.

    “It’s a simple thing to say but any team that wins in the Premier League has them [standards] as a base because without them the tactics do not matter,” Lampard said.

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    “Training well every day, trying to improve, being a real collective unit. There are some variables for the players, everyone talks about the bog squad and I understand that it’s hard for the coaches this year at the club – I get it because I’ve lived that for nine league games now.

    “Sometimes you can say that is maybe a factor – if you want to call it an excuse – but as a player you have to put that to the side and focus on your own game. Since I’ve been in I’ve understood quickly that some of the collective standards – and it’s for the individuals within that to realise who they are – this is not a blanket, we just have to find the reasons for why the club is where it’s at, and there are many.

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    “It’s not just finger-pointing at the players because it’s definitely not a lack of effort this evening, but you build up the credit through your training and your prep, and you build up resilience. I was fortunate enough to be a player here for many years and you can look at the group and the player next to you and know that he’s worked on his standards and everything is there to rely on each other.

    “It’s a bad year for the club, and many clubs have these years when we’ve had massive success for the last 20 years or whatever, but the important thing is you get to the bottom of how it improves. It needs a reboot, the club will move on in the summer in terms of what the squad looks like, and as a Chelsea player where we want to be, everything has to be improved to get to the level.”

    Chelsea’s current season has been disappointing, with the team set to finish with their lowest points tally ever. Additionally, their 16 defeats mark an unwanted club record. Unless they achieve a miraculous nine-goal victory against Newcastle on the final day, Chelsea will also end the campaign with their lowest goal tally.

    It is clear that Lampard recognizes the need for significant improvements within the squad and the club as a whole, as they aim to bounce back and reclaim their previous levels of success.

  • Odegaard on form as Arsenal heap more misery on Chelsea, Lampard

    Odegaard on form as Arsenal heap more misery on Chelsea, Lampard

    Arsenal bounced back to the top of the Premier League with a convincing 3-1 win over London rivals Chelsea, who suffered their sixth successive defeat under interim boss Frank Lampard.

    Captain Martin Odegaard scored twice, while Gabriel Jesus added a third before half-time. Recalled Noni Madueke hit a consolation goal for Chelsea. Arsenal had not won any of their previous four games, but manager Mikel Arteta had refused to rule them out of the title race.

    The victory took them two points clear of Manchester City, but City had played two games fewer and were in fine form ahead of their midweek visit to West Ham.

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    Arsenal dominated from the start, with Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka testing Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in the early stages. The hosts deservedly took the lead when Odegaard finished off a Xhaka cross.

    The pair combined again for Arsenal’s second, with Odegaard netting his 14th goal of the season. Chelsea had a chance to hit back through Ben Chilwell, but Aaron Ramsdale saved his shot. Arsenal continued to dominate, with Gabriel Magalhaes heading a corner towards goal and Xhaka coming close to scoring.

    Lampard substituted Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at half-time after a poor performance, but Arsenal continued to dominate. Jesus missed a chance to score, while Madueke scored Chelsea’s second Premier League goal in eight games. Despite late pressure from Chelsea, Arsenal’s defence held firm to secure the win.

    While it was a night to remember for Arsenal captain Odegaard, Aubameyang will want to forget his return to Chelsea.

  • Lampard insists he loves being at Chelsea despite struggles

    Lampard insists he loves being at Chelsea despite struggles

    Frank Lampard insists he still loves being at Chelsea and is relishing the challenge of turning the club’s fortunes around.

    Lampard has lost all five of his games in charge since returning to the club earlier this month for a second spell as manager, this time as caretaker after Graham Potter was sacked.

    Chelsea were booed off at half-time during last week’s 2-0 home defeat to Brentford, which extended their winless run in all competitions to eight matches, and sit six points adrift of the Premier League’s top 10.

    They play at title-chasing London rivals Arsenal on Tuesday and when asked if he still relished coming into work, Lampard said: “Absolutely. My eyes were open when I came into this job.

    “I’m too experienced in football as a player and now as a coach to understand that things don’t necessarily change over night in terms of results and we’ve seen that.

    “Our job is to work on performances and mentality of the group in training to try and bring back a good feeling. That only comes with hard work.

    “I enjoy that challenge and I was very aware of it coming in. I’m very proud to manage the club. I love being here and I enjoy doing my job.

    “The reality in football is your career will not always be full of success. People will always remember the success, but part of the job is the tougher moments, whether you’re a manager or a player.

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    “You can’t always control the results, but you can control how you work every day, so I enjoy that aspect of it.”

    Chelsea’s Champions League hopes have also been dashed under Lampard after a 4-0 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid and the former Blues midfielder faces another huge test of his managerial credentials against the Gunners.

    “We’re not in a great moment are we?” Lampard said. “But I’ve been able to live this now for a few weeks. I also lived maybe 10 years of incredible success here and saw it continue, and was part of it again, and saw it continue.

    “It can be pretty normal, if you look at the history of all of the top clubs in the league, (there are) moments of tough periods.

    “Our opponents (on Tuesday) are good example of that. They want to be challenging for Premier Leagues and they are again now and it’s been a while for them.

    “I think we have to put perspective on it and understand that we’ve got to work on all aspects of the club to get back the feeling and position of where we want to be.

    “It’s not a given in this league and there’s a lot of work to do.”

    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could feature again after stepping off the bench against Brentford and Kai Havertz is back in contention after injury.

    But Kalidou Koulibaly (calf) is still out and could miss the rest of the season.

    Mason Mount (pelvis) and Reece James (hamstring) are also unlikely to appear in Chelsea’s last six matches and Marc Cucurella faces two more weeks on the sidelines.

  • Lampard says he has ‘no problem’ with fans booing Chelsea players

    Lampard says he has ‘no problem’ with fans booing Chelsea players

    Frank Lampard has acknowledged Chelsea fans’ concerns after the team’s fifth consecutive defeat during his tenure against Brentford at Stamford Bridge.

    The visitors secured a 2-0 victory with an own-goal from Cesar Azpilicueta and a late effort from Bryan Mbeumo, leaving Chelsea with a sixth game out of their last seven without scoring and dim prospects of finishing in the Premier League’s top half.

    Chelsea’s run of poor form is worrisome, with no wins in any competition since beating Leicester on March 11 under former manager Graham Potter. Lampard and Bruno Saltor have presided over a winless streak of eight games, during which only Conor Gallagher has scored a deflected goal. Compounding matters, six of these winless games occurred at Stamford Bridge.

    Lampard has defended fans’ right to express their dissatisfaction, but he asserts that the players’ morale, rather than their commitment, is responsible for their downward spiral.

    “Absolutely the fans are going to be worried,” said Lampard. “If you’re a Chelsea fan, you’ve been used to 20 years of success, you’re used to it and you want it more.

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    “I’ve got no problem with fans booing. I’m not sitting here to go against the fans and say don’t boo the players. I’ll defend the players because they’re young lads who want to do well. Is there an issue with confidence? Yes. Is there an issue with the balance of the squad? Maybe yes.

    “I’m not patronising everybody, I expect them to have an idea what’s going on behind the scenes, but when you work with it in this Premier League, if you think Brentford are going to come and turn you around and have corners and throw-ins against you and you’re going to walk that game, that’s not the case any time.

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    “When you’re in this moment with a lack of confidence, then it can be difficult to win a game. I’m not exonerating the players, far from it. I’m just supporting them. They’re in there disappointed because they wanted to win that game. They performed in my opinion like they wanted to win it.

    “Is there a confidence issue? Yes. Are we dynamic enough in the final third? No. Have we been for a long time before I came here? No. Those things are not things that are going to turn overnight. We have to keep working.

    “I understand the fans booing. I don’t think anybody is saying they can’t believe that’s the case today.”

    “There is a balance in the squad to address, I think everybody sees that,” said Lampard. “What can you do? This has been a problem that predates me coming recently into this. When there are not so many goals you also have to have players who can do a tactical job and work for the team.

    “We have to keep working and fighting to try and create opportunities to score goals. Maybe there aren’t goals so much in the team, and we’re low on confidence. There’s a clear issue in the squad, not scoring enough goals for a team like Chelsea.

  • ‘It’s a blow’, Lampard reveals Reece James, Mount out for rest of season

    ‘It’s a blow’, Lampard reveals Reece James, Mount out for rest of season

    Frank Lampard has announced that Reece James will not feature in any further games for Chelsea this season due to a hamstring injury picked up during their game against Real Madrid.

    Although the 21-year-old completed the match, the extent of the damage was revealed following a scan. James’ performances for the club, whether playing as a right-back in a back four or as a wing-back in a three, have been one of the bright spots in an otherwise disappointing campaign for Chelsea. However, his struggle with fitness meant he was only able to start 16 games in the Premier League this season.

    Additionally, Lampard revealed that Mason Mount, who has been the subject of transfer rumors, is set to undergo surgery for a long-standing pelvic issue and is unlikely to feature in any of the remaining games. His future at the club is also uncertain as there is no new contract in place.

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    “It’s a blow for all of us because they’re big players,” said Lampard.

    “Reece has a hamstring injury he picked up in the Madrid game, he got through the game but we scanned it in the following days.

    “Mason has been carrying this pelvic injury for quite a while, it definitely predates myself. Medical staff have been trying, but we’ve got to a stage where he will have minor surgery.

    “It’ll probably be a four-week recovery and we all know where that gets us to.

  • Lampard sets unwanted 118-year record at Chelsea

    Lampard sets unwanted 118-year record at Chelsea

    Frank Lampard is now the holder of an unwanted 118-year Chelsea record after losing to Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

    The Blues went down 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, the same scoreline they lost by in Madrid a week prior – to not only exit this season’s competition but likely end all hope of qualifying for any kind of European football in 2023/24.

    Chelsea legend Lampard was appointed as caretaker manager in early April after the club opted to sack Graham Potter less than seven months into the five-year contract he signed when joining from Brighton, but he has been unable to reverse the club’s alarming slide.

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    His short tenure, which has come at a time of extreme fixture congestion, has yielded four successive defeats – the first time any Chelsea manager has suffered that fate in the club’s 118-year history.

    Lampard’s return to the club kicked off with a 1-0 defeat at Wolves before Real Madrid schooled Chelsea with a comfortable 2-0 win at the Bernabeu. Brighton, Potter’s former club, then rocked up in west London to take all three points and were comfortably the better side in a 2-1 win.

    Tuesday’s defeat to Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie did offer up a better performance, but Chelsea still lost and have only scored one goal since Lampard returned to the dugout.

  • Sean Dyche appointed new Everton manager following Lampard sack

    Sean Dyche appointed new Everton manager following Lampard sack

    Sean Dyche has been appointed as the new Everton manager as they aim to stave off relegation from the Premier League.

    Everton sacked Frank Lampard last Monday following a 2-0 defeat at West Ham – the Toffees’ eighth defeat in the space of nine games.

    The last time Everton won a competitive match was on October 22 last year, and they find themselves in 19th place, level on points with Southampton, who are bottom only due to goal difference.

    Dyche was reportedly the Merseyside club’s second choice, with owner Farhad Moshiri wanting to appoint former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa, who held talks with the club’s hierarchy in London on Thursday.

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    However, Bielsa is said to have been hesitant to join Everton in mid-season, and reports have claimed the Argentine instead suggested he would take over the club’s under-21s side, with a view to managing the first team following the end of the campaign.

    With survival Everton’s priority, Dyche has been handed the job on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

    Speaking to the club’s media, Dyche said: “It’s an honour to become Everton manager. My staff and I are ready and eager to help get this great club back on track.

    “I know about Everton’s passionate fanbase and how precious this club is to them. We’re ready to work and ready to give them what they want.

    “That starts with sweat on the shirt, effort, and getting back to some of the basic principles of what Everton Football Club has stood for for a long time… There is quality in this squad. But we have to make them shine. That’s the job of me and my staff.

  • Lampard under pressure as West Ham seal vital 2-0 win over Everton

    Lampard under pressure as West Ham seal vital 2-0 win over Everton

    West Ham piled more pressure on Frank Lampard after the Hammers sealed a vital 2-0 win over 19th-placed Everton on Saturday.

    Jarrod Bowen hit a brace to extend Everton’s winless run in all competitions to 10 games, as Lampard approaches the one-year mark as Toffees boss.

    West Ham Everton

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    The Chelsea great has received public backing from ownership but the task gets only tougher with Everton next facing league leader Arsenal followed by a visit to Anfield.

    Bowen connected twice in a seven-minute span in the first half at London Stadium. He poked it home from close range after Kurt Zouma’s headed flick in the 34th minute. Bowen then one-timed Michail Antonio’s cross to double the lead.

    Everton briefly threatened late in the first half when Alex Iwobi’s low shot toward the corner was deflected wide by Declan Rice.

    Veteran striker Danny Ings made his West Ham debut as a second-half substitute a day after completing his transfer from Aston Villa.

    Speaking after the match, Everton owner Farad Moshiri in response to Lampard’s job security, stated that the decision is not his to make.

    “I can’t comment. It’s not my decision,” he told Sky Sports.

    Speaking on the same issue, long-time Everton chairman Bill Kenwright said: “It’s been a bad run of results for us all and for Frank. But I would never say that to you, ever.

    “We’ve got to start winning, haven’t we? Bad time.”