Jase

Better than talking about height when we know that's not the main cause!

Out of the Top 4 for the first time since mid-October. May well stay that way...

This...

Err, isn't that why I said Lampard saying height is the issue was silly? I don't know why you're going into the specifics here when the issue I have is what Lampard said and even elaborated what our problems are. We have defensive problems and height most certainly isn't the no.1 cause of it!

https://en.as.com/en/2019/09/17/football/1568715726_986830.html You also get money for every game win in the Champions League, coefficient ranking money etc. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7841179/Chelsea-announce-96-6m-LOSS-financial-year-making-profit-2017-2018.html It is not blown out of proportion when we are going through a pandemic and we don't exactly know how much loss have the club taken, even if we're in a better position than most clubs. FFP being loosened doesn't mean clubs can just go out and spend freely. Otherwise, Bayern would have moved to sign Havertz while Liverpool would have signed Werner for example. The club probably thought we could afford him given our Top 4 position a few days ago. But since everything is up in the air again, who knows? If we have to cut back our spending and spend only either defensive players or attacking players, I'd choose the former all day long!

If Lampard really thinks height is the issue (god, help us!), then say it in private and not in the public. But he did the latter and because he has done it, it practically leaves him and us open to be ridiculed because it sounds silly and it is quite silly. If Lampard thinks height is the issue, then why is he chasing a new left back for example? Chilwell, Telles and Tagliafico are all shorter than Alonso. Why is he not going after a taller RB? Take Liverpool for example. Okay, they have Van Dijk and Alisson as two huge pillars in their defence but off the top of my head, apart from those two plus Gomez, Matip, Lovren and Fabinho, their squad aren't exactly littered with tall, giant players. In terms of height comparison, think we might well be similar to theirs but that isn't an issue for one while that is apparently a problem for the other.

Lampard would be better off saying "yeah, we have a problem and we're gonna try and fix it" or something along those lines. It's obvious that we have a problem with set pieces that even a blind person could tell. By saying it's a height problem, it makes him look silly and makes us as if we have a team of dwarves while others have a team of giants. It's even more ironic when you consider the first two players Lampard convinced to sign under his reign are only 180cm and 181cm in height. Hardly giants, are they?

I wonder if we will wait till the end of the season before deciding to make a move or buy him. Because if we don't qualify for the Champions League, that's a 80-90 million financial hole in the books and given we are currently in the middle of a bloody pandemic, the club might be forced to cut back on spending and especially when you consider we also need defensive reinforcements!

Look on the bright side, we'll play first before our closest rivals for the next 3 games after today...

Also some stats from the link above: Conceded from: Open Play - 21 (only Leicester, Man City, Man United and Liverpool have conceded less) Counter Attacks - 6 (only Aston Villa and Burnley have conceded more) Set Pieces - 12 (only Aston Villa, Arsenal and Norwich have conceded more) Big Chances Created - 59 (only Man City and Liverpool have created more) Conversion % - 33.72 (only Norwich, Newcastle, Sheffield United, Burnley and Brighton have a worse rate)

How many of the 15 goals conceded were from corners? Maybe my memory has failed me but I don't remember us looking so vulnerable from every corner last season. Since the restart, we have looked like conceding from every corner. Conceding corners these days is like conceding penalties to the opposition.

Mind checking the record of Lampard's Derby?

Feels to me like Lampard is showing the same ignorance or negligence towards defending like what Brendan Rodgers used to do at Liverpool. The way Lampard has brushed off the defensive issues or the reasons (aka poor excuses?) that he has given have been so unconvincing and concerning.

With the exception of Luiz, Hazard, Pulisic and the young players, Sarri had the same squad last season and the set piece problems never became as apparent as now. We had some issues back then but I don't recall us looking like conceding from every set piece under Sarri.

Another day, another unsubstantiated story on Havertz. 🙄 If this move happens, then yay. If not, gonna be laughing at some people.

What the fuck? I didn't say I don't believe you. I just didn't care and I don't care what other teams do.

Lampard on potentially signing more attacking players... https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/frank-lampard-refuses-rule-out-22297335 Lampard on defensive signings...

Lampard on Willian's contract talks... https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/frank-lampard-refuses-rule-out-22297335

Lampard on Kepa.... https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jul/03/frank-lampard-says-chelsea-could-solve-set-piece-problem-by-signing-tall-players

Lampard on the set-piece problems... https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jul/03/frank-lampard-says-chelsea-could-solve-set-piece-problem-by-signing-tall-players

Nope, it was under Conte (16/17) and Sarri with 16 goals in each season. Second highest was under Mourinho - 14 goals each in 13/14 and 14/15.

Ballack on Werner... https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/timo-werner-chelsea-liverpool-premier-league-michael-ballack-471646