At the conclusion of a miserable season, Frank Lampard promises that his struggling Chelsea players would “play for pride” as they attempt to salvage a top-10 Premier League finish.
Currently, in 11th position, Lampard’s team may end the season in the bottom half of the standings for the first time since 1996.
That would be a fittingly depressing end to a tumultuous season that saw the firings of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter before Lampard returned for a second stint as manager.
The team’s interim manager, Frank Lampard, who is anticipated to be replaced by Mauricio Pochettino in the offseason, lost his first six matches until last weekend’s triumph against Bournemouth.
In a game against the struggling Nottingham Forest on Saturday that will be watched by Lampard’s previous team Everton, Chelsea will have a chance to affect the relegation fight.
Everton fired Lampard in January, and the Toffees are still in danger, lying one spot behind Forest and two points above the relegation zone.
Lampard remarked on Friday, “We play for pride in every game no matter the consequence for everybody else.”
“We are worried about the consequences for us. At this moment, Everton’s future is in their own hands; I am not concerned.
Despite the fact that Chelsea’s triumph against Bournemouth was a much-needed reprieve for the team—which hadn’t experienced victory since March 11—Lampard emphasized the need to maintain perspective.
You shouldn’t become overexcited after a victory, he advised. “I could look at a loss and see the bright side, or I could look at a win and see how much we still have to work on.”Although it’s wonderful for the building’s overall confidence, it’s just a little step toward where we want to be. The solution is not going to be to celebrate all week.
“Another game in the Premier League features a side that is battling for its own existence. Because those are the Premier League regulations, we must match that fervor and ambition.