Frank
Lampard accepts turning Chelsea into Premier League title contenders is a
gradual process, but he is content with the progress made ahead of the trip
to Arsenal on Boxing Day, live on Sky Sports.
Despite finding themselves just two points behind Leicester in second place,
Chelsea have made their second-worst start after 14 Premier League games
during the Roman Abramovich era and currently sit fifth in the table.
Lampard's side have dropped points in all three of their encounters against
the Big Six this season, and travel to the Emirates off the back of
consecutive away defeats.
The only previous season where Chelsea had fewer points at this stage since
Abramovich purchased the club in 2003 came under Jose Mourinho in 2015-16,
but Lampard is looking at the bigger picture following last season's
fourth-place finish.
"I'm happy but we always want more as managers," Lampard told Sky Sports
when asked to assess Chelsea's season so far.
"The reality is the position we were in at the start of the season where we
had some new players while others were missing, and we lacked a pre-season.
Looking at some of our early results, we saw some good and some not-so-good
performances.
"We then went on a really good run which saw a lot of improvement in the
team, so I'm pretty happy but we want more. We want to be challenging for
titles, but we have to accept sometimes that it's step by step. We've made
some steps, but I feel we have the potential to make a lot more.
"We have to think of the short-term and the games in front of us and not be
too reactionary after defeats last week or even wins and our unbeaten run.
It's about making continual improvement and that is important for focus.
"It's hard [to set a target]. It's clear I ask them every year to kick on -
in my job, that's what you have to do all the time, no matter what your
situation. Coming fourth for us was a positive last year considering the
circumstances around it but every year looks different and every squad
improves around us.
"We bought players in and some of them need some time, so I don't set
long-term targets. We're trying to bridge a gap that was clearly there in
the last few seasons to Liverpool and Manchester City in terms of
consistency. We've had our moments of consistency and good form but we have
to work to get even more consistent so we can challenge."
Chelsea haven't lost three consecutive Premier League away games since
February 2019, a run which included a defeat at Arsenal, but following this
month's back-to-back defeats at Everton and Wolves, another reverse on
Saturday would equal that unwanted run.
The Blues were unbeaten in their first five away league games this season,
keeping three clean sheets, so have the recent losses in any way altered
Lampard's approach away from home?
He continued: "In the Premier League, if you drop your levels ever so
slightly in terms of energy and urgency in our game, which we did... we
dropped by about 15 per cent, you cannot do it. It was a real strong lesson
for the team, particularly against Wolves.
"Against Everton, they're a tough opposition but I don't feel we should've
lost the game. Against Wolves, we didn't look ourselves, so it was important
we got the result against West Ham, where I felt the focus of the team was
very good."
Chelsea's 3-0 win over West Ham on Monday Night Football was the first time
in the Premier League this season that Lampard's team had beaten a side
which started the day in the top half of the table.
Indeed, their away record in 2020 against sides who finished in the Premier
League's top half last season leaves a lot to be desired, with their
solitary win this calendar year coming at Burnley, who finished 10th last
term.
They had previously only scored four goals in the six matches played against
teams in the top 10, but the Blues boss refused to attribute any
significance to that run being broken.
"I read about that stat a lot pre-West Ham and I think this year has shown
that the balance of the Premier League has changed. Anybody can beat
anybody, whether you're at the top or at the bottom," Lampard said.
"Leeds were in the bottom half when we played them, and that was a really
tough match. They've given some big teams some really tough matches. I think
it's a bit of a red herring as a stat to look at games against the top half
compared to the bottom half of the table."
Lampard revealed that both Reece James and Ben Chilwell have "their own
injury issues" with both doubtful for the trip to Arsenal this weekend.
James is nursing a knee problem while Chilwell sustained an ankle injury
after just four minutes of the 3-0 victory over the Hammers.
Chelsea's shape was altered by the absence of two of the Premier League
season's most impressive full-backs, and Lampard acknowledges that his side
may have to change their approach over the hectic festive schedule given the
likely change in personnel.
"We can't give a clear answer at the minute on whether Ben or Reece will be
able to play against Arsenal. The next 48 hours will give us a clearer
picture," Lampard said.
"It may change how we play only slightly. It's a big ask when a player has
to come on, as was the case with Emerson, but I thought he did well in the
game against West Ham. We work a lot as a team in training on similar
movements and patterns, depending on the opposition or depending on what we
feel are our fundamentals.
"If they provide a slight adaptation, then we'll make them, but I don't
think they will be huge ones."
'Werner form, Havertz quality will come'
One player who has come in for some criticism is Timo Werner. The Germany
striker has scored eight Chelsea goals since his £53m switch from RB
Leipzig, but the 24-year-old has now gone nine games without finding the net
in all competitions and has missed a number of fine chances.
Werner recently admitted that he underestimated the transition to the
Premier League, but Lampard is in no doubt that the forward will come good.
"We always do extra finishing in training and I feel it's very important to
do specific work for strikers. I never felt you could score freely at the
weekend if you didn't work on it throughout the week, so that's a big part
of what we do.
"Timo has had a period where it hasn't gone for him and strikers get judged
on goals. He's getting into positions very regularly and I feel that once he
gets a goal or two, we'll see many more from him. We're working hard in
training as we always do."
Hakim Ziyech, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic have all been absent
for periods of time this season, meaning Kai Havertz's teething problems
have been exposed when it may well have been absorbed had Lampard been able
to use his full range of attacking options.
Havertz suffered a setback earlier this term when he was sidelined with
coronavirus, but having been anonymous in the defeat at Wolves, where he
failed to create a single chance or have a shot, Lampard was again keen to
contextualise the midfielder's challenging start to life at Stamford Bridge.
"When Kai arrived, he played his first game for us after just four or five
days of training. It was really difficult for him early on because he didn't
have a pre-season with a new team, with a new coach and in a new country.
"He was just starting to play really well when he caught Covid and had quite
heavy symptoms with it. It has taken him some time to recover, but he's
getting back to a better place now. He's a highly talented player, a great
young lad with a great attitude.
"I certainly have huge confidence that he's going to be a really big player
for the club. It's important that we remain patient in the short term, but
Kai is a huge talent."
Lampard ready to face the best Arsenal
Arsenal sit 10 places and 11 points behind Chelsea, but Lampard insists that
his side's opponents on Boxing Day remain a quality team. The Gunners lost
this exact fixture 2-1 last season, despite being 1-0 ahead until the 83rd
minute. That was Mikel Arteta's first home game in charge, revealing the
scale of his task, but the Spaniard enters the latest renewal under
pressure.
Arsenal have failed to win any of their last seven Premier League games and
will equal their record winless run if they fail to beat Chelsea, but
Lampard hopes his opposite number is given time, irrespective of the stage
of his managerial career.
"Expectations are higher at clubs like the ones we are both managing, but I
don't think it's a case of him being a young manager. I see him as a very
talented manager, and we've seen examples of clubs who have built really
strong squads over the last three or four years. The dominant teams over
that period, Manchester City and Liverpool, have had time to work and
improve the squad.
"They went through tough moments, and they were given time to improve
through those moments. It's only then that you really learn about players,
the team and the squad as a whole. I'm not talking specifically about Mikel
here, but just generally in the Premier League.
"If you come into a club that's going through a period of certain
transition, I think it's very understandable there will be lots of
situations and work that you need to do in order to get the club to where
you want it to be. That's not all rosy as that's not football.
"That's not to do with the manager. I think Mikel is a highly talented coach
and manager, and his team are really just going through a recent patch of
difficult form. That's very commonplace in the Premier League as it's a very
tough league. I've got huge respect for Mikel and for Arsenal. They have a
quality set of players and that's the team I'm preparing for on Boxing Day."
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