REALITY CHECK!
Bournemouth stun Stamford Bridge to give Lampard a...
WINTER is coming and it looks a little bleak for Chelsea. The heady optimism of autumn is fading. Six consecutive wins made the youth club at Stamford Bridge, presided over by an old boy, one of the stories of the season. Four defeats in five offers a degree of perspective.
Young hearts ebb and flow in confidence and no club restricted from summer signings is likely to thrive all season long. The end of a transfer ban and the new year might bring relief in that respect but right now Frank Lampard needs his players, young and old, to show what is politely known as cojones.
Possibly there is a less genderspecific term which communicates that just as well but everyone knows what Lampard means.
Stamford Bridge was flat as Bournemouth, with five consecutive defeats behind them, packed midfield, defended with zealousness and took a chance at the end to record a famous victory that may yet turn their season.
Lampard, though, was inclined to point the finger at his players rather than quiet supporters. ‘I don’t blame the fans. I’m a Chelsea man and I will be the first one to say when the fans are flat and that we needed them. But I’m never going to say that today because, if I’m a fan sitting there, I’d also say, “Too slow. Centre back to centre back, full back to full back, back to the centre back…I don’t want to come and see that”. So I won’t blame the fans. They come here to support the team.
Some responsibility is on the players to excite them, to have the personality and the balls to take the ball in an area and beat someone or play forwards. That’s up to the players as well.’
Therein lies the problem for Chelsea. They look a wonderful young team when sides open up against them and there is space to play in their quick strikers. Their best performances have come away from home. At Stamford Bridge they have four wins in nine and three defeats. Top quality sides can break down compact teams, even ones as organised as Bournemouth.
‘I got asked when we were winning on the bounce about how good we were and how quickly it’s all changed,’ said Lampard. ‘I was always guarded against that. The best way to put that is, now we have the reality; that if we’re not at our best, if we haven’t got enough to break teams down that are organised, if players with their individual quality and personality can’t do something to beat teams that are organised, then we need to find another way. That’s a test and hard work is needed.’
The goal that decided it was indicative of the contest. It wasn’t for the purist. It was 84 minutes and so we knew this was decisive. We waited a good two minutes as referee Graham Scott consulted with Stockley Park.
Players moped around aimlessly. Eddie Howe paced around nervously like an animal anticipating freedom. Five straight defeats does that to a man. You need a break, from somewhere, anywhere. It came courtesy of VAR.
Ryan Fraser had swung in a hopeful corner and Chelsea had cleared their lines but only to Jefferson Lerma, who headed the ball into the box. At the time Philip Billing was well offside, running back into position, and the assistant referee raised his flag. But Billing wasn’t a factor in this play, just a man on the periphery. Running through was Dan
Gosling and though he found himself with his back to goal, he hooked the ball over Kepa and into the net.
The initial celebration was cut short by shrugging of shoulders and bewildered looks as we awaited the verdict. When it came, joy was unconfined. Gosling sprinted to his fans chased by his team-mates. Howe looked like a man reprieved as he punched the air with glee.
‘I was well aware of the importance of that moment for us because I felt we needed a slice of luck,’ he said. ‘Something to bounce our way that hasn’t done in a few weeks. That could hopefully be the moment that turns our fortunes, fills us with confidence and gives us belief.’
How they needed this. At the end, they celebrated as though they had won a famous cup tie. This has been an awful run but as Howe observed: ‘You looked at us in the second half and you saw a very, very good team. Well-drilled defensively but a real threat on the counter attack.’
Twice Josh King broke behind Chelsea lines. On the first occasion he was clean through and leaving Kurt Zouma for dead, but a heavy touch allowed Zouma to recover and block. Then Zouma produced a fine challenge on 61 minutes with King poised to shoot again. And
Gosling looked sure to score on 67 minutes when King put in a cross which was centimetres away from being met by the midfielder.
Chelsea, by contrast, had possession but no incision. However, they should have taken the lead on 74 minutes. Callum Hudson-Odoi sent in a cross which was met initially by Tammy Abraham but cleared. Cesar Azpilicueta then headed it goalwards, looping the ball over the defence as Emerson loomed into view. Three yards out and with a clear header, the deadlock looked to be broken; Stamford Bridge braced itself in anticipation.
Yet Emerson headed almost directly at Aaron Ramsdale, who pushed the ball away. And other than a Mason Mount chance, well saved on eight minutes and a Abraham strike into the side netting on 17 minutes, there was little else. Lampard is right: there’s not much to shout about at the moment.