🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Frank Lampard

[Vesper 30,181]

Like Mourinho, Lampard is angered by defeat because he knows trophies are vital

https://theathletic.com/2098788/2020/09/29/like-mourinho-lampard-is-angered-by-defeat-because-he-knows-trophies-are-vital/

The season is less than a month old and Frank Lampard is already finding it hard to keep his cool.

As The Athletic exclusively revealed, he was furious after Marcos Alonso broke squad rules during the 3-3 draw at West Brom on Saturday.

Lampard wasn’t exactly the picture of calm as Chelsea’s defence, which included Alonso at left-back, did their utmost to gift West Bromwich Albion three points at the weekend. The TV broadcast kept cutting away to the head coach looking worried, frustrated and infuriated on the touchline.

During his post-match media obligations, it was pretty obvious the three goals Chelsea scored in the second half on Saturday to salvage a 3-3 draw had done little to dilute Lampard’s disappointment over what he had witnessed in the first half. We now know one of the reasons why, given what he had to say about Alonso’s indiscretion.

Taking all this into consideration, you could argue the timing of a Carabao Cup last-16 tie against fiercest rivals Tottenham, which is also a match-up with the club’s former manager Jose Mourinho, tonight isn’t the best. There was always going to be a lot of scrutiny on this game anyway, but having also lost to Liverpool this month, Lampard knows he needs a win to keep the critics at bay and also to lift the mood in the camp.

Mind you, he is used to being in this position ahead of a meeting with Mourinho’s Spurs. Before securing a 2-0 triumph in north London last December, Chelsea had lost Premier League games to Everton and Bournemouth. And ahead of the rematch at Stamford Bridge in February, where they also came out on top, his side had picked up just two points from a possible 12.

Those victories were vital for Chelsea’s successful attempt to finish in the top four and secure qualification for this season’s Champions League. What makes this Cup encounter so important is that one of their two realistic chances to win silverware this season is at stake.

Chelsea have spent more than £200 million on new players in this transfer window yet Lampard, whose views were echoed by pre-season predictions from all the pundits, has admitted regaining the title in May is unlikely and the realistic aim is to close the gap to Liverpool and Manchester City in the final table — those two clubs finished 33 points and 15 points ahead of them respectively in 2019-20.

Similarly, after being comfortably knocked out of the Champions League by eventual winners Bayern Munich 7-1 on aggregate last month, nobody expects them to challenge to win Europe’s premier club competition this season either, even though Timo Werner and Kai Havertz have arrived to help their chances.

Lampard knows that despite the impressive achievement of taking Chelsea to fourth spot last season many people, including a section of their fanbase, will continue to question whether he is the right man for the job until he wins silverware.

Qualifying for the Champions League is one of the requirements the Stamford Bridge hierarchy expects from all their coaches, but they have also got used to success on a regular basis. Since owner Roman Abramovich took over 17 years ago, no English club has won more major trophies (16) than Chelsea.

Lampard came mighty close to No 17 in August. Having defeated Liverpool, Leicester City and Manchester United en route to the FA Cup final, Chelsea fell short right against Arsenal, not helped by the unfortunate injuries of Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta as well as a harsh red card to Mateo Kovacic for two cautionable offences.

That loss, combined with the inevitable exit to Bayern in the Champions League’s last 16 a week later (they went into the second leg in Germany 3-0 down), seemed to take a lot of the shine off Lampard’s first season in some quarters. Despite coping for several months with the departure of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, a transfer ban and playing more academy talent than any Chelsea boss had before, things ended on a negative note.

The Arsenal match at Wembley particularly vexed Lampard. One might assume a coach will have soothing words of comfort or encouragement for their players after suffering such a disappointment in a showpiece occasion. However, sources have told The Athletic that the 42-year-old was incensed and spoke angrily about the manner in which they stopped playing with intensity after going 1-0 up. It’s been described as one of his most furious dressing room outbursts thus far — well that is until Alonso’s misdemeanour anyway. On top of the normal ire over how they were beaten, perhaps it was also a sign of how much of an impact Lampard knew lifting the FA Cup would have for him, as well as the club.

You only have to look at what a difference a trophy has made to how his Arsenal counterpart Mikel Arteta is perceived. That success meant Arsenal’s lowest league finish for 25 years, even if he only took over in December, was forgotten and the Spaniard appears to be held in higher esteem than Lampard because of that winner’s medal on his managerial CV.

Unlike former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, who spoke many times about how the domestic cups were not a priority during his tenure, Lampard knows what winning one can bring to a squad.

He learnt this lesson under Mourinho, whose first trophy in both spells as Chelsea manager was the League Cup, firstly in 2005 and then a decade later — against Pochettino’s Spurs outfit. The Portuguese also won it in 2007.

Lampard played in the first two of those finals, and didn’t regard the prize as second-rate. As he said after defeating Liverpool in Cardiff 15 years ago: “If you haven’t won anything, a runners-up medal is not what you want at all. He (Mourinho) actually gets angrier with each one (defeat), so every time we lose it’s the worst I’ve seen him. He’s a winner, though, that’s what you expect, and that’s the attitude that’s needed at Chelsea these days.”

That mantra hasn’t changed now he’s the one at the helm. When asked about his views on Chelsea challenging for four trophies during his debut season he spoke about “targeting them all”. Here we are a year later and nothing has changed.

Speaking on the eve of the encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where the hosts may have to play a weakened side given they have a Europa League game 48 hours later, Lampard said: “We all know the Carabao Cup for teams like ourselves and Tottenham, teams challenging for top four and Champions League, that the Carabao Cup does have its place. But we certainly respect it and every tournament we go into, we want to win.

“When I analyse Tottenham and the squad that they have and what team they might have, and the players who didn’t play 90 minutes (against Newcastle), they have a fantastic squad. I know that whatever team Jose puts out they will be very strong.”

Mourinho will have his own point to prove. Not only has Lampard got the better of him in two Premier League meetings, Mourinho also came off second-best when his former midfielder’s Derby County side defeated his Manchester United on penalties in the Carabao Cup two years ago.

A week later, Mourinho sent a message paying tribute to Lampard as he was inducted into the Legends of Football Hall of Fame. He said: “As I told you at Old Trafford, only a manager with great potential can organise a team to play that way. I knew you were desperate to beat me. And you did. Though it was 2-2 after 90 minutes.”

Lampard will certainly be desperate to do it once more.

[ZaynChelsea 423]

If he doesn‘t get a grip on the defence, he will be gone soon and rightly so.

You can blame the Spurs goal on Emerson but if you take into account the bigger picture, you see a confused defence where no one really seems to know what he has to do. Disgraceful.

[blues.bridge 343]

i'm starting to have  dubt about FL, zero defence, zero game ideas, no movement without ball!

[killer1257 3,282]

If Mount and CHO did make the right passes, we would have won today easily.

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[Jase 43,479]

2 minutes ago, killer1257 said:

If Mount and CHO did make the right passes, we would have won today easily.

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You're opening a can of worms there...

[Laylabelle 9,535]

Unless things change and we get a run going he will be gone. Especially if fail to qualify. Only so much money can spend and time given and things still not coming together. Others been given less time...

 

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

5 games in. 

Zero improvement in every criteria Frank is being judged on. 

Clock is ticking.

[killer1257 3,282]

You're opening a can of worms there...

These passes were not even that hard to make

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[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, killer1257 said:

These passes were not even that hard to make

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But you're talking about ifs and buts here, which one easily make about other situations that happened. 

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

I thought he got his first half tactics spot on once again but second half we looked like the less eager side.

FL sadly already feels like a dead man walking in that jobwith the fans getting on his back here at least. I think he will be given a bit more time by Roman tho.

It is not at all black and white. This might not be the best football in the world but we lost with bad luck vs a highly motivated Mourinho side. There is no shame in that and no sense in blaming shit coaching or tactics. This is still a team finding its feet even tho it should be further ahead there is no use in throwing your toys out of the pram. Mourinho in 2015 was 10x worse, the Sarri slump was worse, Conte missing out on 4th was worse. Lampard has been through rough patches here already and so far always bounced back. Lets at least give him end of the year before being too terminal in judgement.

[R2D2 368]

The improvement are yet to be seen but I'll give him until Pulisic and Ziyech are back at least. That said he isn't doing himself any favors with that Mount.

[Tomo 21,751]

1 minute ago, Jason said:

But you're talking about ifs and buts here, which one easily make about other situations that happened. 

Tbf there isn't exactly a shortage of people happy to bring if,buts and maybe's to the table whenever we narrowly win, like recently vs Brighton.

[ZaynChelsea 423]

The question is who are we going to bring in. Simeone would be a perfect fit but no way is he coming. 
Allegri doesn‘t convince me. Maybe Poch?

[killer1257 3,282]

But you're talking about ifs and buts here, which one easily make about other situations that happened. 

You have to find the right passes in those big moments. A guy like KDB always finds the right passes and even in much more complicated and tight spaces. CHO did not see Tammy and Mount saw Werner's run and passed it to the opponent. This is not Chelsea level.

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[killer1257 3,282]

The question is who are we going to bring in. Simeone would be a perfect fit but no way is he coming. 
Allegri doesn‘t convince me. Maybe Poch?

Simeone needs a whole new squad. We do not have a Simeone squad

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[R2D2 368]

1 minute ago, ZaynChelsea said:

The question is who are we going to bring in. Simeone would be a perfect fit ut no way is he coming. 
Allegri doesn‘t convince me. Maybe Poch?

If Lampard goes, I'd like that manager from Leipzig.

[Vybz Kartel 1,613]

I think we should cut our ties now whilst the season is young, bring in a more experienced manager and hopefully challenge for the league. Frank Lampard is just not good enough for a club like Chelsea. Carlo Ancellotti was fired for finishing 2nd!!!

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

Just now, Magic Lamps said:

 

It is not at all black and white. This might not be the best football in the world but we lost with bad luck vs a highly motivated Mourinho side. There is no shame in that and no sense in blaming shit coaching or tactics. This is still a team finding its feet even tho it should be further ahead there is no use in throwing your toys out of the pram. 

You see, I disagree 1000 percent. 

Playing a passive possession game against THAT Spurs team in the first half, was criminal. I would be criticising Lampard and the team if I was a neutral, and Spurs fans are now laughing their bollocks off that they got away with it! Not playing with urgency with all the possession we had and killing the game off is poor management. Period. Difference between Klopp/Pep and Lampard. 

Finding their feet? Werner is 5 games in with us and Chilwell is an established PL left back? What are you on about?

 

Sorry, the excuses end here.  That was unacceptable. 

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

4 minutes ago, killer1257 said:

If Mount and CHO did make the right passes, we would have won today easily.

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Perhaps but its all superficial to say that. Attack we were predictable. Again 2nd half two big chances and the execution was poor. 

We could have won 1-0,-0, 3-1, 6-4 or 18-6 but the common thing is we are still conceding stupid chances/goals due to poor organisation and that will continuously follow us wherever we go if we dont sort this. That Emerson mistake is something we would probably of seen in Villas-Boas’ side here.

As Ive said before all these individual errors, which are happening far too regularly, wouldn’t happen as often if we were better organised. Yes we have some players shitter than others but do you think if the defensive shape was better some of these things wouldnt happen? Because I certainly do. Also Lamela has run past Kante from MF IIRC, MF runners are hard to pick up as they make late runs but how nobody noticed him is alarming. 

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

2 minutes ago, ZaynChelsea said:

The question is who are we going to bring in. Simeone would be a perfect fit but no way is he coming. 
Allegri doesn‘t convince me. Maybe Poch?

Simeone's ultra-destructive ugly suffer-ball? Simeone vs the big sides is 10x worse than what Lamps did vs Liverpool

Allegri with his fondness forwashed up granpas?

Poch alright maybe but also never has won a title.