Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said on Monday his team is not “broken” and that co-owner Todd Boley has every right to speak to the squad he has invested in ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid.
Chelsea, who lost 2-0 from Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, enters without winning their last six matches in all competitions, with Interim coach Lampard losing his first three matches.
“We are not where we want to be,” Lampard told reporters before hosting Real Madrid on Tuesday. I think (described the team) as ‘broken’ is a bit of an exaggeration. The position we occupy in the league is the current reality, and we are 2-0 behind (in this confrontation). We have to work to change that. I do not think that what will happen tomorrow will be better than our achievement of the Champions League (in 2012).
Chelsea achieved the Champions League this year, despite finishing the league in sixth place, when Lampard was a player in the team.
“It is up to us as a team to play with the desire and know-how to change this situation. I’ve been here for Champions League matches a few times, so I know the atmosphere isn’t going to be as great as we’d like it to be. Something depends on us in interacting with the masses.
Lampard said he would have no problem if Chelsea failed to qualify because he was “proud” of running the club.
He added, “What will happen… will be in the events of the day after tomorrow. Every game is a chance to win… a chance to win back. Every match is big and it should be.”
And British media reported that Poli entered the dressing room sad after the loss at the beginning of the week from Brighton & Hove Albion and spoke to the players, and Lampard said he felt comfortable with the American owners.
“I think there was some criticism of the old owner (Roman Abramovich) for not coming to the matches and being with us,” he said. However this wasn’t always true but to be fair. When the owner invests to help the team, he has the right to intervene as he wants. I won’t say what (Polly) said, but it’s normal when he comes to the dressing room.
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