Frank Lampard has hit out at Chelsea’s performance against Bournemouth, believing his side were too cautious in their approach against the Cherries.
The Blues fell to a fourth Premier League defeat in five outings after losing 1-0 to an injury-ridden Bournemouth side at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Where has it gone wrong for Chelsea? Five things to know…
- Chelsea found themselves third and five points off table-toppers Liverpool after beating Crystal Palace 2-0 last month.
- However, the west Londoners have since won just one of their five most recent league games.
- Their latest defeat came at the hands of a depleted Bournemouth side on Saturday.
- Lampard and Co still remain in a top-four position but Spurs have reduced the gap to just three points.
- The Chelsea boss has now lamented his side’s lack of enterprise and intensity going forward.
Eddie Howe deployed a makeshift XI at Stamford Bridge, with nine first-team players currently recovering on the treatment tables, but his side still managed to conjure up a smash and grab triumph in the capital thanks to Dan Gosling’s late winner.
The wheels have started to come off for Lampard and his side in recent weeks after such an impressive and imposing start to the campaign; and he has now gone on record to slate a lack of urgency and proficiency going forward for Chelsea.
Lampard recently highlighted his side’s lack of clinical edge in the final third, and those issues have only grown stronger after another blank was fired at home over the weekend.
When quizzed on what message he will give his Chelsea side in light of recent shortcomings, Lampard responded: “Urgency in our play. If you’re transferring the ball transfer it quickly from side to side. If you’re playing through the lines because that’s the kind of player you are get it through the lines.
“If you’re an attacking player get at people, do things that are positive, don’t play safe. We played generally too safe during the game.”
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“We just didn’t get the fans excited enough”
Lampard quickly turned his attention to style of play, dismissing suggestions that his side are taking to the pitch with fear on their minds, but rather that they are simply playing without the urgency needed to excite fans on the terraces and expose Premier League clubs.
He said: “I don’t know about fear but in front of our own fans it’s clear now we aren’t playing well enough and getting enough results. Up until now I think a lot of it – and I said this after Lille – was we’re not taking enough chances because we’re creating a lot and we’re giving away some silly goals.
“Today wasn’t a ‘we’re creating loads of chances day’, we created two or three great chances and we need to take them if we want to improve, but today we just didn’t get the fans excited enough.
“The fans shouldn’t be excited if we’re going to play ten balls across our back four. They shouldn’t be. I think that’s not the team I want to manage.”