Lampard: Fear factor ruined our chances
team had urgency and the substitutes helped.
“I thought we were good and deserved to get ourselves back in the game. We were the team pushing at the end so we can take something on a positive note – what a great lesson for us.
“I couldn’t get it because the talk before the game was to play without fear.
“We have done it before against Premier League teams, so everything was there.
“If we play with some below-par performances in our 11 on the pitch then you are going to struggle.
“I was clear in the message at half-time, I wanted to be honest and I think I was.
“I made a couple of changes to try and inject something into the game and the second half was certainly better.
“If you play passively like we did in the first half then you have no chance. If you play with aggression and desire, all those attributes, like we did in the second half then we know we have a great chance but now we have the league to focus on.”
Cole’s goal was his first for Derby County and his first in English football for more than six and a half years.
“I’m delighted for Ash,” said Lampard. “I speak to him a lot, obviously, about fitness and to see where he is and he was honest and said 90 minutes is a push at the minute.
“This was perfect for him,
45 minutes, and he played calm and composed.
“The quality was there and he got the goal and it’s great for him. It was a good exercise for Ashley.”
Both Cole and Jack Marriott came on at the interval and made an immediate impact.
“The two substitutes at half time changed it and then Jozefzoon was good when he came on,” said Lampard.
“We changed the formation at the end to get three at the back and push people forward and at that point we were waiting for something to drop in the box and for us to score.
“It wasn’t to be and the lesson is the first half is what damaged us.
“If we play like the first half then we have no chance and if we play like the second half then we have every chance.
“The players know that and the focus is now all about the league. We have 15 games so let’s give it our all.
“It starts on Wednesday against Millwall so we have to be at it.
“We know we have quality in the dressing room but we must bring everything in our game to every game. We have
15 finals to see how high we can get.”