LAMPARD’S SEARCH FOR FIRST WIN PROVES A BRIDGE TOO FAR
▶ Call for patience after Chelsea start well but fade in a 1-1 draw with Leicester City
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has called on his team to have “more personality” after a 1-1 draw yesterday with Leicester City extended his wait for a first win.
Thrashed 4-0 at Manchester United last weekend and beaten on penalties by Liverpool in the Uefa Super Cup on Wednesday, Chelsea took an early lead through Mason Mount’s first goal for Chelsea.
But Wilfried Ndidi atoned for the costly mistake that led to Mount’s opener as the Nigeria midfielder headed Leicester’s well-deserved equaliser in the second half.
Lampard had been given a thunderous reception in his first game as Chelsea manager at Stamford Bridge. Yet the mood was far gloomier by the final whistle after a spluttering display raised the spectre of a potentially difficult season for the returning hero.
Lampard, Chelsea’s all-time record goalscorer, managed to avoid being the first Blues manager to lose his first two Premier League games in charge since Gianluca Vialli 21 years ago.
But on this evidence there is a lot of work to do if Lampard is to emulate his 13-year playing spell at Chelsea, which included three Premier League titles and the club’s first Champions League crown.
“It was a really good start, fantastic, and we could have been two or three goals up,” Lampard said. “We were quick, bright, energetic, then we allowed Leicester back in the game. In the second half I was not very happy, we offered them too many chances on counter attack.
“We can only look ourselves. In all our matches I have been delighted in big passages of having the ball but we didn’t have enough angles or options to keep the ball moving. We have to have more personality, we saw that in midweek, but today we didn’t have that.”
The bright start Lampard alluded to was rewarded in the seventh minute when Caglar Soyuncu rolled a pass to Ndidi, who dithered too long to allow Mount to steal the ball before sliding a clinical finish past Kasper Schmeichel.
Mount should have doubled Chelsea’s lead when he headed straight at Schmeichel from Pedro’s cross before N’Golo Kante shot wide from Olivier Giroud’s flick. But Chelsea could not keep up that ferocious pace and their dip gave Leicester a lifeline, and their second-half dominance was rewarded in the 67th minute when Maddison’s corner found the head of Ndidi.
“We were outstanding in the second half but didn’t win the game,” Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said. “We came out with a positive mindset and had chances to put it to bed.
“The most important thing is getting the players into those positions. It’s still very early in the season. In the second half, I thought we were very good. We will look for three points next week.”
While Lampard is yet to taste victory since his summer appointment as Chelsea manager, the club’s all-time record goalscorer is confident that the squad is heading in the right direction.
“It’s very early for us. We have to be patient as we are working towards something,” Lampard said. “This is home for me and I really appreciated the support. I’m slightly disappointed we didn’t get the win but I’m thankful to the fans.
“We have had a tough start – to go to Manchester and get beaten the way we did then lose the Super Cup when I thought we were the better team.”