Frank Lampard agrees to make Chelsea a Premier League contender is a slow process, however, he is pleased with the progress made before Arsenal on Boxing Day, live on Sky Sports.
Despite being only two problems with Leicester at the time, Chelsea began their worst moment after 14 Premier League games in Roman Abramovich’s time and lately ranks fifth in the table.
Lampard’s team has lost problems in their three matches to the Big Six this season and traveled to the Emirates after consecutive home defeats.
Last season, when Chelsea had fewer problems at this level since Abramovich bought the club in 2003, he had moved on to Jose Mourinho in 2015-16, but Lampard looks at the big picture after fourth place last season.
“I’m satisfied, but we need more as managers,” Lampard told Sky Sports when asked to rate Chelsea’s season so far.
“The truth is that at the beginning of the season we had some new players, others were missing, and we were missing a preseason. Looking at our first results, we saw and bad performances.
“Then we had a very smart race that saw a lot of improvements in the team, so I’m pretty satisfied, but we need more. We have to be tough on titles, but we have to settle for it being step by step. “We’ve taken a few steps, but I think we have a chance to do a lot more.
“In fact, this season has shown that maximum groups have had difficult times and a lot of that depends on preparation. Preparing for the season is something we didn’t actually have. We won’t have to get too far off the line.
“We need to think about the short term and the matches ahead and not be too reactionary after last week’s defeats or even the victories and our undefeated. It is about continuously and is vital for concentration.
“It’s hard [to set a goal]. It is transparent that I ask both of you, one and both, to begin; in my work, that’s what you have to do all the time, whatever your situation. To be the fourth for us, a positive year given the cases around it, however, both one year turn out to be another and both a team is improving around us.
“We buy players and some want time, so I don’t set long-term goals. We are looking to close a hole that has obviously been there in recent seasons with Liverpool and Manchester City in terms of consistency. We’ve had it”. our moments of consistency and intelligent form, however, we have to paint to be even more consistent to challenge. “
Chelsea have not lost three consecutive Premier League away games since February 2019, a race that included a loss at Arsenal, but after this month’s back-to-back losses at Everton and Wolves, Saturday’s setback would amount to that unwanted race.
The Blues were undefeated in their first five away league games this season, keeping three blanks, so have recent losses replaced Lampard’s away from home in any way?
He continued: “In the Premier League, if you lower your degrees in terms of power and urgency in our game, we did Array . . . we go down about 15%, you can’t win. It was really a lesson for the team, especially opposed to wolves.
“Against Everton he’s a tough opponent, but I don’t think we’ve lost the game. Against the Wolves we didn’t look at each other, so it was vital to get the result against West Ham, where I felt the team’s concentration was very good. “
Chelsea’s 3-0 win over West Ham at Monday Night Football was the first time in the Premier League this season that Lampard’s appearance beat a team that had started the day in the most sensitive part of the table.
In fact, his away record in 2020, opposite the one that ended in the first part of the Premier League last season, leaves much to be desired, with his only win this calendar year at Burnley, which ended tenth last season.
In the past, they had scored only four goals in the six games played against the top 10 teams, but the Blues boss refused to give weight to the break.
“I read a lot about this statistic before West Ham and I think this year has shown that the balance of the Premier League has changed. Anyone can beat anyone, either up or down,” Lampard said.
“Leeds was in the back when we played against them, and it was a difficult match. They gave some large groups difficult matches. I think it’s a false clue as a statistic to watch the matches as opposed to the best. from the back of the table. “
Lampard revealed that Reece James and Ben Chilwell have “their own injury challenges,” or in doubt for Arsenal this weekend. James is suffering a challenge on his knee, while Chilwell injured his ankle after just 4 minutes of the 3-0 win over the team. Hammers
Chelsea’s form has been altered by the absence of two of the most impressive sides of the Premier League season, and Lampard admits that his appearance would possibly have to replace his technique on the tight festive schedule given the increased likelihood of staff replacement.
“We cannot give a transparent answer right now as to whether Ben or Reece will play Arsenal. The next 48 hours will give us a more transparent picture,” Lampard said.
“It can replace the way we play. It’s a big doubt when a player has to come, as was Emerson’s case, but I think he did well in the game opposed to West Ham. We paint a lot as a team in education, in similar movements and patterns, depending on the opposition or what we feel as our foundations.
“If they offer a slight fit, we will, but I don’t think they’re huge. “
One player who has been criticized is Timo Werner. The German striker has scored 8 goals for Chelsea since his replacement of 53 million pounds from RB Leipzig, however, the 24-year-old has played nine matches locating the net in all competitions and missed a number of wonderful opportunities.
Werner recently admitted that he had underestimated the transition to the Premier League, Lampard has no doubt that the striker will be fine.
“We complete more in education and I think it is very vital to make express paintings for the forwards. I never imagined you could score freely on the weekend if you didn’t paint all week, so it’s a great component of what we do.
“Timo has had a time when it didn’t happen for him and the strikers are judged on the basis of purposes. It’s positioned very regularly and I think once you’ve scored a goal or two, we’ll see a lot more. “. Work education like we do.
Hakim Ziyech, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic have been absent for periods this season, meaning Kai Havertz’s initial disorders were exposed when they might well have been absorbed if Lampard had used his full range of attack options.
Havertz suffered a setback in this room when he left the coronavirus, but after being anonymous in the loss to the Wolves, where he could not create a bachelor chance or get shot, Lampard returned eager to contextualize the complicated start of the midfielder’s life at Stamford Bridge.
“When Kai arrived, he played his first match for us after only 4 or five days of training. At first it was difficult for him because he didn’t have a preseason with a new team, with a new coach and in a new country.
“He was starting to play well when he stuck to Covid and had quite serious symptoms. It took him a while to recover, however, he is now returning to a better position. He’s a very talented player, a tall young man with an intelligent attitude.
“I am convinced that you will be a wonderful player for the club. It’s just that we keep patience short-term, but Kai is a great talent. “
Arsenal have 10 points and 11 problems with Chelsea, but Lampard insists that his team’s warring parts on Boxing Day remain a quality team. The Gunners lost that draw 2-1 last season, despite a 1-0 lead to the 83rd minute. It was Mikel Arteta’s first house game in charge, revealing the magnitude of his task, but the Spaniard enters the last renovation under pressure.
Arsenal have won any of their last seven Premier League games and will be equal to their winless record if they fail to beat Chelsea, but Lampard hopes his counterpart will have time, regardless of the level of his coaching career.
“Expectations are high in clubs like the ones we run, but I don’t think he’s a young coach. I see him as a very talented coach, and we’ve noticed examples of clubs that have built very strong groups in the last three years. “or 4 years, the dominant groups of that era, Manchester City and Liverpool, have had time for paintings and equipment.
“They went through difficult times, and they had time to improve those moments. Only then do you learn about the players, the team and the team in general. I’m not talking in particular about Mikel here, but only in general Premier League.
“If you’re entering a club that’s going through a transition period, I think it’s very understandable that there are many conditions and paintings to be done to get the club where you need it. It’s not all, pink because it’s non-football.
“It has nothing to do with the coach. I think Mikel is a very talented coach and coach, and his team is going through a recent era in a complicated way. It’s not unusual in the Premier League because it’s a very complicated stage. League. I have great respect for Mikel and Arsenal. They have a set of quality players and this is the team I prepare for on Boxing Day. “
Arsenal vs Chelsea will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 5pm on Saturday; Start at 5. 30 p. m. Sky Sports consumers can view excerpts from the game on the live blog on the Sky Sports online page and app. Free highlights will also be posted on Sky Sports’ virtual platforms and Sky Sports Football’s YouTube channel in a time after the final beep.