Frank Lampard
What are your immediate thoughts? Is the challenge a big one or is the door still open?
I think both. I think it’s a big challenge, of course a team with the quality of Real Madrid. The door is open, it’s up to us whether we want to kick it open further. That’s my immediate thought.
Mixed emotions about the game. For the period with 11 men, we were in the game and we had some chances and I think we can do better. I’ve been here a short time and I definitely think we can utilise our strengths better. Especially with system at wing-back, we need to be more urgent in giving them a problem with that. Those are things that myself, the staff, and the players can work on because I could see opportunity there tonight.
Spirit at the end of the game, great. Ten men here for half an hour, you understand that lots of things can happen from that. Lots and lots of great chances, I like that part of it and we have to believe. I have to be the first one to believe.
You went with five at the back tonight, was that to make it difficult for Vinicius?
Partly the reason. I think I had different things to consider. Vinicius one-against-one is a big problem for any team so we wanted to created two-against-ones on that side of the pitch. It didn’t help getting the yellow card for Fofana so early, it makes you nervous. He’s a player that is very good.
With a back five, you want to not be a back five as much as you can and we tried to enforce that. When we have the ball we want to be a three, we want to use the width of the pitch. As I mentioned, we could have done that a bit better, it was a weapon for us to use today. Get the ball out of pressure, get it to the side. In terms of the system, the thinking was very clear to negate threats but to give us an in possession control of the game which we could have done more.
Do you, players and fans need to believe there will be another special night?
Absolutely. If you don’t believe at the top level of sport… things will go your way, that’s a percentage of the game, the mindset and believe. The fans will come and support us. We’re realistic. We’re 2-0 down against Real Madrid, that’s fact now, that’s done. I’ve been involved in games that change. We’re in a different place now and maybe that’s a good thing. We’re in a place where we want to prove things wrong, change the tone, change the story. We went tonight with ten-men against Real Madrid, it’s a difficult night for the lads. I see that they are disappointed but I saw everything in that final part of the game. It will be different next week, we’re not favourites, we weren’t favourites yesterday and we’re not favourites today, that’s football. The possibilities are ours to take.
What is your mindset for the second leg and what can you say about Joao Felix?
The game for Raheem, and Joao Felix was a tough match. The system we played defensively, the lads of got a lot of work. Their main threat, sometimes we counter-attack and to protect the ball. It was a difficult night for us at the top end of the pitch. Joao is a big talent, as is Raheem, I’m not here to criticise upon it too much. We’ll go away and anaylse it.
In terms of the second game, we’ve got a long 90 minutes of football. I think our approach has to be a balance one. I don’t think you can play without balance against Real Madrid with their attacking threats. We also have to have an extra urgency in our game and an idea of how we can be more forceful in that game at Stamford Bridge. The fans will help and the atmosphere will help. Our job in the meantime is to prepare the team as best we can to turn the game.
What practical things can you do in the next week to give players more belief they will score?
I get that question a lot. My first feeling is work on the training pitch but when I consider the work that we do, we work a lot on the last third, finishing and crosses and the idea we want to get across. That’s pretty clear, I don’t think we can go much further than we do. The last bit is somtimes confidence whether it’s an individual thing or team confidence. I think I come back to the work side of it then. If you work, keep going, something can change. Mason’s chance at the end might go in and the tie feels completely different, the early parts of the game we might get a goal. Continue to work, speak to the players. No play doesn’t want to score a goal. Sometimes they need support confidence and a push in a positive way. Not just next week, it’s my job until the end of the season because it’s been happening and I’ve come into this and it’s my job to address it as well as I can.
What did you think of the second goal?
It was not a tactical issue, it was a not switching on issue, not being focused in the moment. If you watch back the goal, we’re not as we should have been. We’re one man down but from a set piece you should control the basics and that’s a disappointment. I don’t think Real Madrid created a big, big number of chances in that period with ten men, so a set-piece you shouldn’t concede.
The second leg will be a challenge, will it be a challenge for your future?
I don’t think one game specifically is going to change my future. I am here for a period of time until the end of the season, Iit’s been pretty clear. I absolutely took the job under that idea. I understand it completely, the things that happen in between, I’m not thinking about what might happen in May or in June, I’m thinking about what I can control now. I don’t see it that way. I will get asked that question a lot in the next six weeks. Genuinely in my mind, I’m here for this period. After that we will see.
