Chelsea Manager Frank Lampard Post Match Press Conference Transcript: Liverpool v. Chelsea

Speaker 1: (00:00)
We’ll then come to you and you have the ability to unmute yourself. We’ll get about as many as we can. We’re going to start with Simon Johnson.

Simon Johnson: (00:15)
Hi, Frank. Tough night. Positives and negatives. There are a lot of Chelsea fans though that are quite angry about Kepa it seems. Do you think that’s harsh with the goals that were conceded? Are you worried about his levels of confidence going into a big game on Sunday?

Frank Lampard: (00:35)
No, I wouldn’t talk about individuals in a game where we’ve conceded those goals. Some were real quality Liverpool finishes, particularly the free kick. There were some collective and individual errors for them. What we did do is contribute to a really good game. At 4-3, feels like we may get back in the game. I felt it throughout even, well, 3-0 is difficult, but 3-1, and what that gave us and the way we were playing in the game.

We know where we’re at. We know that if we make mistakes like that against a team of the quality of Liverpool then this is what can happen. But there were a lot of good things in the game, so I certainly don’t want to get into an individual conversation about players who’ve got now two big domestic games to play this week. It’s important that we be going in together, as in players, fans, everybody trying to finish this season how we want.

Speaker 1: (01:27)
Vinnie O’Connor.

Vinnie O’Connor.: (01:30)
Hi, Frank. Jamie Carragher in commentary spoke about the impact of Pulisic and likened it to the impact that Eden Hazard had on Chelsea. What could you say about his influence tonight and just how important will he be moving forward to get closer and really challenge Liverpool next season or the likes of Liverpool next season?

Yeah. I mean, hugely important. He has had that impact. I was here for Eden’s first year and it’s not easily coming to the Premier League even for Eden in that first year. It’s adapting to the Premier League. Christian has had his moments with that, but since, well, mid-season, he had a really good patch. Then since restart he’s been in incredible form. I think the injury he picked up in the Norwich game is catching up in the semifinal, when he’s flying. But today he comes on and has 40 minutes, which is great for the injury to feel confident in it and shows the qualities which has been showing. Yeah, huge. He’s so young. He’s got such natural talent. He creates goals, he scores goals, and he’s a big player for us. Delighted to see him come through fit. Clearly, he’ll be a big player in these next few games for us, but going forward as well.

Speaker 1: (02:35)
Darren Lewis.

Speaker 1: (02:42)
Need to unmute yourself, Darren.

Darren Lewis: (02:46)
Can you hear me now, Frank?

Got you, Darren. Got you.

Darren Lewis: (02:49)
Sorry, mate. You said to Sky Sport, the pressure of Sunday is the kind of pressure that players should accept and relish at Chelsea Football Club. I would imagine on that basis that you want them to embrace Sunday rather than be nervous. Everyone will be building up to be a nervous occasion.

Yeah. Yeah, and that they have to embrace that and take it on. We’ve got a mixture of youth and hopefully that youthfulness can sometimes help, but we also have players that have been in situations like this before. Comes with the territory of playing for a top club. Also, we should have a feeling of achievement to this point that if we were offered this at the start of the season, when not many people expected us to be in the top four race, that we now have it in our own hands. We’re at the Bridge. We have a really strong opponent coming, obviously, in Wolves, but it’s up to us.

Yeah, I’ve got belief in the players. I’ve seen a lot in the last two games, particularly with Manchester United and with Liverpool tonight of what we’re about. There’s been a spirit and character in those two performances. We have to carry on for one more in the league.

Speaker 1: (03:54)
Matt Law.

Matt Law: (03:54)
Hi, Frank.

Hi, Matt.

Matt Law: (03:59)
Did you always think it would probably go down to the final day, one way or the other for Champions League qualification? Just kind of similar thing to Darren, but are you expecting one of these days where you’re going to have to keep in touch with everything that’s going on as you go along and some twists and turns?

Yeah. Yeah, I don’t know about the last day. I suppose since restart and knowing how tight it is and with a view on the fixture that we had going into this last week with Liverpool and Wolves, and Wolves have always been in this race as well until just now in terms of Champions League places, that there was a feeling that it could go this far. I felt we may be able to get over the line tonight before the game, because we played so well at Manchester and we [inaudible 00:04:42] a bit in this game. Well, on another night, at 4-3, we’d get our point tonight.

But now we know what’s ahead of us. There will be a lot going on Sunday. What’s important for the players is they absolutely focus on ourselves because it is in our own hands and that’s the job I will do. We can’t really affect what’s going on elsewhere. We have to try and get over the line. We’ve got character in the group. We’ve got quality. We’ve got a good opponent coming. But it’s on us now.

Speaker 1: (05:10)
Okay, last two. Jacob and then Nick [Callow 00:05:12] to finish.

Jacob: (05:13)
Hi, Frank. You’ve conceded 54 goals in the league now. I mean, that must hurt you a lot. What do you feel that it’s been down to this season? Do you feel that from what you’re seeing on nights like tonight that these players, these defenders, can improve on that record next season?

Of course, you’re going to want to. I don’t want to dwell on how many goals are conceded now. I want to concentrate on where we’re at, where we’ve got a game to go, and we want to win that game to get in the top four. I mean, you could reflect on a season and how many goals you scored, how many chances we created, what was our chance conversion. We know we need to improve in different elements of our game. But at the same, with what the challenges that were put on us all at the start of the season, we now have it in our hands to try and win one more game.

Now in the big picture, do we want to improve in terms of how we defend? Of course, we want to improve. That’s part of the process. But what we have now is let’s be very positive in all senses about the game that’s in front of us.

Speaker 1: (06:10)
Okay, last question, Nick Callow.

Nick Callow: (06:12)
Frank, I think you were about to say you’d have taken a specific position at the start of the season, going into the last game with top four in your hands. There’s a lot of good players and teams who won’t be playing in the Champions League next season. Do you think you’ll have overachieved if you finish top four?

I don’t know. That’s an opinion for everyone else. From the inside, it’s important just to work. I think we weren’t in everybody’s top four. Saw a lot of that at the start of the season. We still had a belief here, because I believe in the squad, I believe in the younger players, I believe in what we have. We know there was some tough moments and we know that we’re tough teams around us that maybe people fancied more, but we’ve worked hard. Typically, I would have wanted more. I would have wanted it done by now. I think some of our performances through the season meant we dropped points when we should have taken them. But again, that’s part of the process.

If we can get over the line, I don’t think everything is on Sunday in terms of the whole judgment of where we’re at. It needs to be on whether we come top four or just not. I think top four would be a huge bonus for the club and where we want to go forward. In terms of some of the progress I think we’re making, I think there have been some good strides.

Speaker 1: (07:17)
Okay, that’s it. Good evening, all. Thank you, Frank.

Thank you.

Chelsea Manager Frank Lampard Post Match Press Conference Transcript: Liverpool v. Chelsea

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