Frank Lampard expects everyone to remain patient with Chelsea’s current situation after they were held to a 1-1 draw against Leicester City on Sunday afternoon. Lampard is still looking for his first win as Chelsea manager and is the first since Rafael Benitez seven years ago not to win any of his first three games in charge.
However it is highly unlikely the Blues legend will come in for as much criticism as the Spaniard, who was never the most popular with the Chelsea faithful, and Lampard believes he will be afforded more time.
The transfer ban has been a huge problem for him, while the departure of Eden Hazard has not helped, and although wins are needed, Lampard believes it will be a while before people are reaching for the panic button.
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Lampard was speaking after watching his side held to a 1-1 draw against Leicester at the Bridge, a game they could quite easily have lost, and the Chelsea boss had mixed feelings. “We’re working in one way here and we want to do well.
We know that in the circumstances that there are some tough elements this year,” he said. “We couldn’t bring players in, I couldn’t as a new manager bring any players to help push the way I’m thinking, we lost Eden (Hazard) and he was so pivotal to this club. “I think everyone’s understanding of that and we will be patient, but again I don’t want to use that as the huge factor.”
Lampard admitted managing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge was the “stuff of dreams” but was disappointed his homecoming was not marked with a win.
After a 4-0 loss at Manchester United last week and a penalty shoot-out defeat to Liverpool in the Super Cup in midweek, Lampard is still to taste victory and, as good as their first-half display was against the Foxes, their second-half struggle highlights the size of the task he faces.
It had seemed like a win was written in the stars as, after the pageantry of his arrival into the dugout, with chants of ‘Super Frank Lampard’ ringing around the stadium and banners held aloft, Mason Mount gave Chelsea a deserved early lead.
But Leicester, orchestrated by the impressive James Maddison, showed why they are tipped to make a challenge for the top six this season as Wilfred Ndidi made up for an error in the build-up to Chelsea’s goal with the equaliser after the break. “It felt great, it is a special moment for me to come back to the club and manage them at Stamford Bridge, of course it is the stuff of dreams,” Lampard said.
“For me it is a huge thing, but my focus today was on the match and trying to win. “Thanks very much to the fans, I appreciate that, but I am here to do a job and here to try and win for the club and we can do better than we did today.”
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