Blues boss urged for patience as several of his squad meet the high demands of Premier League football
Frank Lampard has singled out characters and legends from Chelsea’s past as to why many of their top players have stopped scoring regularly.
Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech have only two goals left between them since November 1, while Timo Werner is on a 10-game drought in the Premier League.
This drying up of goals became a factor in why Lampard’s side tumbled over the winter period, having briefly led in early December.
Ahead of a game against Leicester, who sit four places above the Blues, Lampard explained that even in a league where big teams are losing points, Chelsea don’t have the experience of winning.
“People touted us as champions of the title, [but] we have a young team in its composition – especially in the advanced areas. We don’t have the players in those areas that this club has had before, which are goal machines or assist machines that allow you to win games, ”Lampard began telling reporters.
“We don’t have Eden Hazard contributing 50 percent of goals or assists. We do not have any [Diego] Costa scoring 30 goals. We are developing these players and I strongly believe in them. We’re not quite where other teams around us may be in the front of the way.
“For us, there could be tough times. It is therefore important for me and for the players to continue working but also to remain patient and calm.
Thomas Tuchel is among those linked to Lampard’s work, while Brendan Rodgers has been linked with a return to west London – where he began his coaching career at Chelsea academy.
While managing Swansea, he said he would never accept the Chelsea job as the club hire and fire their managers too quickly. Lampard believes, however, that patience has grown at Stamford Bridge since those comments were made.
“As a Chelsea team we are not the Chelsea when I think Brendan made these quotes,” he said. “But I guess they were created at a time when Chelsea had [Didier] Drogba, [Petr] Cech, [John] Terry – I’m not going to name myself – [Claude] Makelele. It would have been an always stimulating team and the benchmark was different.
“At the moment, we are not a team that has Costa, [Cesc] Fabregas or Hazard, to mention the players who came a little later. We are a team who when we count on players up front it is clear that they are new to the Premier League.
“So maybe the benchmarks change. I can’t think about it too much. I can tell you, because it’s the truth, and then keep working. If I can be successful, how is success viewed now, that’s all I can ask for in the short term for myself.
“We have to think short term in this business. Not just me, by the way, and let’s not make Chelsea like that. We’ve seen a few big clubs and big managers get polled within a week, two or three after a few results this year and that’s the modern world.
“I’m not crying about it because it’s the Premier League. We all have different expectations. If we fail to reach them, the pressure comes. That’s why we’re in this job – to manage this. “
