Frank
Lampard has warned his Chelsea players he does not want to hear "any
excuses" after Wednesday's Super Cup final against Liverpool.
Lampard endured a tough competitive debut as Chelsea boss on Sunday as his
side were beaten 4-0 by Manchester United in a performance that drew
criticism for its naivety.
Having qualified by virtue of winning last season's Europa League, Chelsea
face the daunting challenge of taking on the Champions League holders in
Istanbul.
"Going up against the team with the quality of Liverpool in a final is as
tense as finals can be," Lampard told uefa.com.
"Every player in there needs to be aware of the importance of the game to
this club and we have to give everything, because it's going to be tough.
"It's going to be tough, but we cannot walk off the pitch and think, 'Oh, we
could've done that' or 'We missed that opportunity' or 'We weren't quite
ready' or make any excuses for ourselves."
Lampard's first summer as Chelsea boss has been restricted by a two-window
ban on the club signing new players, with the departure of Eden Hazard
further intensifying the challenge facing the 41-year-old.
While Chelsea claimed their sole Super Cup trophy in 1998, Lampard lost
back-to-back finals during his playing career, as the west London club
qualified for the UEFA showpiece in 2012 and 2013.
"We need to be absolutely ready," Lampard said.
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