After Chelsea’s disheartening 1-0 loss to Wolves in his first game back as manager, Frank Lampard ripped into his team and insisted they needed to adopt a different approach.
The Stamford Bridge leadership quickly moved to reinstate Lampard as the team’s interim manager through the end of the current campaign after parting ways with Graham Potter earlier in the week. This is done while they look for Potter’s long-term replacement.
It is now up to Lampard, who was fired by Roman Abramovich in 2021 after only 18 months in charge, to inspire the struggling Blues, who entered Saturday’s game mired in the bottom half of the Premier League standings.
But, Wolves earned their victory at Molineux with a magnificent goal from their prized player Matheus Nunes. Lampard was unconcerned with the outcome vs their “aggressive” guests.
After the final whistle, Lampard stated: “In terms of performance, I believed we lagged a little in the first half. Wolves seemed combative and determined to maintain their Premier League standing. They seemed to play with a little bit more aggression, in my opinion. At halftime, I made that statement to the team. Although I believe we made a modest correction in the first few minutes of the second half, the score was already 1-0.”
Lampard then discussed the little amount of time he and his team had to prepare the players for this weekend’s game during his interview with Match of the Day, but he also emphasized that the ongoing unrest at Stamford Bridge could not be used as an excuse for such a performance.
We have been working here for one or two days, and it’s important to grasp that as well as the team’s perspective, he continued.
“The fact that there have been many changes is not an excuse, but I believe that performance encapsulated the need for improvement. I have to learn more about it. When I use the word mindset, it’s not always a bad thing. You need to develop the habit of succeeding. Wolves deserve praise for their effort tonight; they were tenacious and physical.
“We’ll work and have fun. We’ll assume their positions and do it again. There can be a feeling that you won’t succeed. I’ve experienced it before, and as a club, we must deal with it.
“While it’s not where the club wants to be, it is the situation we are in, and we must deal with it. You must arrive at a place from where you can proceed. More lifting is required than what we performed today.”