Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard has criticised his team’s effort in their 2 – 1 home loss to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Blues were paid a visit by the Seagulls, who made Stamford Bridge their own for the duration of the match.
Connor Gallagher opened the scoring for the hosts in the 13th minute when they had a little stability on the ball. Fans were excited over a possible win in a match that, based on form, they were earmarked to lose.
Expectation would become reality when former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck equalised in the 42nd minute to give Brighton control of the game going into the second half.
Youngster Julio Enciso would score a rare goal with a beautiful drive in the 69th minute to give the visitors the lead, which they held on to until the final whistle.
Chelsea fans have expressed their displeasure over Lampard’s coaching as they did with Graham Potter. The media have also had their say. Lampard’s post-match comments, however, are the base for which a lot of opinions on the team and on his second stint will now be based.
“[The players were] disappointing on every level,” he told Sky Sports. “The better team won and could have won by more. They played like a team. They’re working together for a long time, give that credit.
“But it’s not good enough from our point of view. All the basic parts of football — to fight, to run, and those things — we were short on. We have to dig ourselves out of that very quickly.
“We’ve got a big game on Tuesday. There’s no point in being too down, but professionally we have to understand why today went the way it did. And it wasn’t good for us.”
He doubled down on those comments when asked if he would appeal to the club’s fans to help galvanise the players as they attempt to overturn a 2 – 0 deficit against Real Madrid in their UEFA Champions League quarter final second leg in midweek.
“I know they will do that but we have to play with that energy and fight, that’s like the bare minimum,” he told media in a news conference. “That’s up to us, in terms of the game on Tuesday.”
These comments are reminiscent of those the 44-year-old used to make before he was let go from the role in 2021. Making these comments again either suggests that much has not changed since he left or that he is still unprepared for a top flight role.
