Frank Lampard reveals the lack of training time has not helped Chelsea players
Frank Lampard admits that the shortage of training time has made it difficult for him to work with the Chelsea players, as the Blues prepare to face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg on Tuesday night.
The Blues are winless in their past five games going into their Champions League fixture after a 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion. This includes a 2-0 loss in the first leg away at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Lampard has lost all three games and has yet to guide the team to a victory. The 44-year-old has stated, however, that the players are not fully fit to compete at a high level.
Additionally, he disclosed that there have been fewer training sessions since his appointment and that he has simply discussed their specific skills with them. Surely that does not inspire confidence for a team that is seeking direction.
The former Blues midfielder will bring back the players he rested against Brighton, (h/t Evening Standard), and further said:
“At the minute, it has been mostly conversations and meetings than training pitch stuff. Training pitch stuff was all pretty walkthrough and low-level because of the tiredness in the legs.”
“It is more about speaking to the players individually. When we do get the chance to work, I think the team needs some physical work. I think that’s important for us because, at this level, you have to be right on the limit, and we are not on the limit right now.”
It’s true that some players aren’t entirely well and fit, half of the Chelsea team had injured players who were immediately put into the starting lineup. Thiago Silva was one such player who was used against Real Madrid despite having not played since recovering from an injury.
Additionally, Lampard has spent very little time on the players’ physical preparation, which may be the reason he hasn’t yet developed a suitable system where each player is able to excel.
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We hope the players are totally fit and will give it their all to reverse the 2-0 deficit in the upcoming encounter against Real Madrid. Given what we have seen of them under Lampard so far, it will be a monumental task.