Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has insisted that everyone in the first team must work on their game management after the Blues’ 3-3 draw with Southampton on Saturday.
Lampard’s side were electric in the first half and took a 2-0 lead, but Southampton allowed it back to 2-2. And despite restoring their lead soon after, Chelsea conceded again late on as Saints netted deep into injury time to grab a point.
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Late conceding and abandoning Leeds is nothing new for Lampard, who came under fire for his decision-making when Chelsea were on the rise, and the boss admitted (via football.london) that game management Something the team still needs. Work on.
“Yeah, there’s definitely a game management element to it in a game,” he said. “We want to get a lead and see it off. We turn the ball over which leads to a free kick and then it’s another ball. There are so many elements that go into it, you look at it. Can recreate and talk about it in training. It’s a lot but it’s very frustrating when it happens.
“I don’t think it’s conceding goals because of the shape of the team. Of course we’ve changed shape and I have to make those decisions with the personnel I have and get the best out of them. That’s the thing. That’s what I have. It’s something to think about, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to stick with that formation and there may be changes and tweaks as we go along. It’s a thing. is something we need to continue working on.
“Changes need to be worked on at the training ground, we don’t have much of that so sometimes it’s a work in progress in games and there were a lot of great things from the 4-2-3-1 today, especially In the first half.
“In the second half I wouldn’t fault the form of the team, more that we didn’t deal with the fact that Southampton really wanted to put us under pressure in their own half. “Wanted to miss. Didn’t do enough and that meant we turned the ball over in our own half, which is always a problem regardless of form.”
Lampard also jumped to the defense of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who made a handful of good saves but once again made a costly error as he rose from the challenge and gifted Che Adams a routine goal.
Southampton’s second goal was a comedy of errors / Matthew Childs / Getty Images
“I was talking about Kepa earlier and he makes great saves in the match,” the boss added. “But of course my eyes will be on the second goal and I understand because it wasn’t just Capa. That goal was involved. It’s a goalkeeper’s unfortunate world.
“[Édouard] Mendy is injured and will probably be fit in the next week or two and then it will be for me to decide who plays.
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