On the heels of back to back upset losses, Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has called out his own side for what he sees as a bit of complacency. He did so in his usual subtle manner, but the message is clear to those paying attention. The Blues lost 2-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers last night, with this defeat coming just a few days after dropping a league fixture versus Everton 1-0.
They were strongly expected to win both games, and the side came into this season with nothing short of Premier League title expectations. They fell out of the top four prior to the Wolves loss, and now reside in fifth, but even that place in the standings is a bit misleadingly favorable.
Chelsea have played one more game than the four teams above them and the three teams below them in the table.
“Maybe it’s for the players to think about the game while they’re resting,” Lampard said in his postgame media opportunity.
“Think about tonight, think about Everton.”
When Olivier Giroud put the Blues up 1-0 at the Molineux, Lamps believed his side should have been able to close the deal and see the three points out.
“At 1-0 we should see the game out,” Lampard said.
“If you’re not playing that well, which we were not, hold on for 1-nil. Performance is what give you results. Maybe the lads think we’re playing well. The minute you think you’re playing well things like this can happen.”
“We didn’t play well enough,” Lampard continued (transcript Football.London).
“It is pretty simple. The threat from Wolves is clearly the counter attack and it is a major threat from what they have got. It is the main one because they have speed and quality in forward areas.”
“The players knew it before the game, the players knew it in game, but we allowed some counter-attacks. If you are going to allow a team to play to their strengths then you may lose that game.”
Lampard is definitely unhappy with the mentality in his squad, and that’s understandable given the last two disappointing results.
The best thing a team can do to get over a bitter defeat is win the next one and the good news is that plenty of opportunities arise for that. The games are coming fast and furious now, with West Ham coming in on Monday night and Boxing Day visit to Arsenal up next on the docket.
If motivation is the issue here, perhaps a couple of London derbies will get the side better fired up.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.