Harry Diamond
Frank Lampard has told his struggling Chelsea side that the ‘only’ way to overcome a lack of confidence is through working hard following their poor performances in recent weeks.
Chelsea have won just once in their past seven fixtures in all competitions and have dropped to ninth in the Premier League, with the pressure having significantly risen for Lampard following the club’s lavish summer spending.
The west London side begin their FA Cup campaign this weekend when they host fourth-tier Morecambe and Lampard has discussed his side’s recent form, insisting hard work is the only way to come through a difficult period.
“There’s only one way to move on from a lack of confidence and that’s to work hard,” he said at his pre-match press conference. “You’ve got to sprint out of a lack of confidence.”
Lampard is expected to rotate his side for the clash with Morecambe and has admitted it has been difficult to maintain harmony amid a large squad at Stamford Bridge, while five teenage academy prospects – Tino Anjorin, Lewis Bate, Henry Lawrence, Tino Livramento and Jude Soonsup-Bell – have all trained with the first-team this week ahead of potential involvement.
The 42-year-old added that he is aware of the pressure on him following a tough run of form but says he is relishing the challenge of turning Chelsea’s fortunes around.
“When you have a squad as big as we do, there are probably more non-starters than starters. So it’s only human nature that players find that tough,” he said.
“In terms of myself, I came into this job expecting pressure. And I have to say my personality is that when things are going well, I put more pressure on myself because I worry about what is around the corner.
“Now I find this more challenging in a good way because I can find out more about myself, the team, and my members of staff.
“I love doing what I’m doing and I never expected an easy run in this job.”
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