BLANK CHECK
Frank can end drought and turn it all around
FRANK LAMPARD is on a “mission” to save Chelsea’s season – and will have to rebuild their confidence in front of goal.
Crisis club Chelsea have now gone 374 minutes without a goal and it is the first time in 30 years they have failed to score in four consecutive games.
Lampard is now charged with getting goals from a team bereft of belief ahead of facing Brighton, who inflicted one of the worst defeats – a 4-1 mauling at the Amex – of their nightmare season back in October.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the only natural centre-forward at the club but has been out of favour for so long that he is not even registered in their Champions League squad.
Kai Havertz and Joao Felix have both been asked to play as ‘false nines,’ while Raheem Sterling’s confidence is shot to bits.
But despite the lack of firepower, N’Golo Kante insists they have the right man and enough quality in the squad to get back on track.
A European place looks a long shot as they have slipped into the bottom half of the table and they will have to score twice at least to get past Real Madrid after their Champions League quarter-final firstleg defeat in the Bernabeu.
But Kante believes Lampard can still rescue their fortunes this season with just eight games left in the Premier League and the possibility that next Tuesday could be their last European game for a long time.
Kante said: “I think he came here for a mission and is trying his best to achieve a better end to the season. We are all together now for this target and we still believe we can get something from this season.”
But the financial cost of failing to qualify for Europe this term could hurt owner Todd Boehly as they would miss out on up to £100m in prize money.
However, Kante, who played in Madrid and brought much-needed quality to the midfield, insists that the Blues can still turn the tie around.
“We were disappointed but the second leg is at home and we have to believe we can achieve something special,” he said.
Kante’s injuries this season mean that incredibly his last four games have all come under different managers. Kante played for Thomas Tuchel in August, then made his comeback from a long lay-off in Graham Potter’s final game, before playing in Bruno Saltor’s only game as caretaker against Liverpool. He missed Lampard’s first game but started at the Bernabeu.
But the Frenchman says he is now back to full fitness, adding: “I feel good. It has been frustrating but I believe I can help us now for the rest of the season.”