Stand and deliver is Lamps call
CRITICAL TIME FOR MY BLUES SAYS BOSS
FRANK LAMPARD has challenged his Chelsea players to show their character in the battle for a top-four place.
Lampard has not given his squad a public dressing down on many occasions this season, but he was highly critical of them for being too quiet during Saturday’s lame 3-0 surrender at Sheffield United.
The Chelsea boss clearly wants his players to be more vocal on the pitch.
Lampard said: “The important thing now is how we react and I expect that from the players. I’ve got big personalities in the team. They need to stand up.
“They need to show the quality they’ve shown for big parts of the season. I trust they will do and, because we’re at the business end, it’s very important they do.
“I think mentality is huge. If you watch the games, and I had a long afternoon watching all the games on Sunday, you will hear for good or for bad managers talk about mentality after the results. It cannot be understated how big mentality is. How big attitude is.
“It is very easy and natural to look at talent but you also have to look at attitude and character within the team. I think it’s something we can improve. Younger players can be more vocal, can grow as they go along.
“Older players can take on responsibility of helping that as well. We’re in a good place but it can certainly improve. Moments like this, critical times like now, where there’s a lot on the line, it’s time for people to make that improvement.”
Lampard admitted he does have some quiet players and insists that even they must learn how to talk up more.
“With players that do not speak, I get it, it’s not an easy one and
I’m not trying to make a quiet player into the biggest mouth in the dressing room,” said Lampard. “There is an element that it’s natural.
“Some people naturally open their mouths and talk more, give information, but you can improve it,” he said. Chelsea expect Andreas Christensen to be fit after he came off injured at Sheffield United. N’Golo Kante will miss out but hopes to be fit for the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United on Sunday. Daniel Farke is convinced relegated Norwich can hang on to their best players this summer. Skipper Ben Godfrey, Max Aarons and Todd Cantwell all have their Premier League admirers. But the Norwich boss believes they will stay at Carrow Road and form the nucleus of another promotion push next term having won the Championship title in 2019. “There is no financial pressure at all to sell them,” said the German, who is likely to recall Cantwell in midfield tonight. “I’m quite relaxed we can keep our best players.”
CHELSEA (probable): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Zouma, Alonso; Jorginho, Kovacic, Barkley; Willian, Giroud, Pulisic.
NORWICH (probable): Krul; Aarons, Godfrey, Klose, Lewis; Tettey, McLean; Buendia, Cantwell, Hernandez; Pukki.