Chelsea signings will Lamp up the pressure - Frank
Frank Lampard admits the arrivals of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech wi l l ramp the pressure right up on his position as Chelsea manager.
The Blues were under a transfer ban when club legend Lamps replaced Maurizio Sarri last summer, giving him as near to a free pass as is possible for a new boss.
He gave youngsters including Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Reece James their chance and they have repaid his faith by putting Chelsea in the mix for a top-four finish.
Since the ban ended, though, Lampard has been granted access to Roman Abramovich’s chequebook.
And while he’s thrilled at £ 48million Werner and £ 38m Ziyech’s signings, he knows expectations will change as a result.
Lampard, who turned 42 yesterday, said: “The pressure probably does change because of the amount of money we have spent and I can get that.
“But there’s pressure in this job whatever.
“We’re a well-supported and well-followed club, and scrutiny is big, as we know.
“That ’ s why we love the Premier League and that’s why we’re trying to do our best.
“So I don’t mind the idea, I get it. We’re trying to improve and I’m under no illusions. I will have more pressure on myself.
“Of course, bringing in p l ayers we f e e l a re improvements, you have to go and show that.
“So that will be up to the individuals themselves and that will be my job as well. So if the pressure ramps up, that’s fair enough.”
Chelsea restart 12 points behind second- placed Manchester City and a massive 34 points behind leaders Liverpool.
Lampard added: “We do know there is a big gap going upwards, when you look at the performance of
Liverpool and City in the last couple of years, so we need to really try to work to close that gap.
“And we have to be ready to give the players who come in, the two players you’re talking about, some time for adaption to the league.
“Hopefully it’s not that much, we really believe in their qualities but yes we want to be working forwards to closing that gap above us.”
For now though the battle for the Premier League top four is Lampard’s priority.
And whi le he doesn’t believe the integrity of the run- in is compromised because Manchester United and Tottenham have been able to get Paul Pogba and Harry Kane fit again, he accepts the problem of players’ contracts expiring before the season ends does muddy the waters.
Lampard said: “If it has fallen in certain clubs’ laps that players get fit, we have a couple of players who are fit ourselves so that’s fair enough. But in terms of the contracts, yes there is an issue there.
“We are hoping to have the extension of Pedro and Willian but if our squad looks different to what it looked like in the first part of the season then it changes it for us without a doubt.
“But they are clearly two important players for us and it will be very unfortunate if we don’t have them.”
Meanwhi le, Chelseabound Werner’s last home game for RB Leipzig ended in a 2- 0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund yesterday.
The Germany striker proved largely anonymous but for a 40th-minute effort from a tight angle that keeper Roman Buerki blocked and he was replaced with 20 minutes left.
Erling Haaland scored both goals as the visitors beat t he i r closest challengers to wrap up second place in the Bundesliga.