Frank Lampard
Considering how much the team has been struggling to score goals this season, what was the idea behind the lineup?
I thought for 60 minutes of the game you probably saw why I picked the lineup. We had big energy, big organisation in the team and caused Real Madrid a lot of problems. The only thing that was missing from our game was a goal. We had really good chances to do that, at this level when you’re in the really strong moments… the first half was a strong moment for us. This team can always give you problems in transition of course because they’re a fantastic transition teams amongst other things. Our game was exactly how I wanted it and one goal or two goals in that 60 minutes changes the face of it. We didn’t do that and at this level, they’re so clinical.
Did you have an issue with the officiating tonight? The Militao tackle, the first half you looked like you were unhappy with amount of time Real Madrid were taking.
I think probably the officials should be aware of that, a high level game, details of minutes. Two minute in the first half wasn’t enough for me. I’m not going to complain about that after the result. Militao for me, was a second yellow card. I’m not going to say what I really think but in practise at this level you see that yellow card given a lot. That one in the attacking final third when our player is beyond their centre-back and they get brought down. Normally that’s a yellow card which means red, which means half an hour of ‘here we go’. We had to do it at the Bernabeu, they would have had to do it here. It didn’t happen.
When the dust settles, I just wonder if you could give us an insight of what Chelsea do to pick themselves up?
We have to. The reality at this level, we’ve been fortunate enough to have success for 20 years. Many clubs in the Premier League would dream of our success and Champions Leagues year after year, Premier League winners. Maybe if this is a year where we’re not quite where we want to be and there are probably reasons for the transition. A few years ago we didn’t make the Champions League for the following year and Chelsea then won the Premier League the next year so you can’t be too short term with it. I think there are obviously places we want to improve at the club and maybe the level of game tonight shows that where we played a good game and we lose. I don’t think it’s time to jump too far ahead of the step that is front of you. The step in front of us is seven games in the Premier League to show that performance. That’s the standard. The end bit, being clinical and scoring is absolutely crucial and something we need to address.
Didier Drogba spoke this evening and said he didn’t recognise the club, what do you make of it?
They’re Didier’s comments.
You helped set the standard at this club, how do you go about trying to raise those and what is the motivation for the players?
I’ve been asked that in every interview, and I understand that, but the motivation has to be playing for Chelsea. There are some players that are maybe quite new here, getting used to the club and that maybe isn’t easy. Some of the greatest players in the Premier League, when they first arrive they need sometimes need some time and sometimes they arrive and they’re put in and they find their feet and you see them flying. So maybe there’s a reason with some of our players where they need transitioning but in terms of motivation; you’re playing for Chelsea. There’s individual motivations throughout the squad and there’s a collective. And for me, you have to be competitive with everything we do every day and to get into the team you have to show it. The team today is what I felt was the most form team individually, the fittest team in terms of what this game was going to ask of us and they showed it. They showed they can compete with Real Madrid, for sure, except from the final-third stuff. So I think it’s important to take each step. Each step for me and the players now is a day off tomorrow and back to work on Thursday and get working towards Brentford. People will make a lot about this season for Chelsea because we’ve had so much success and the reality is this club is going to be back. It will take work and a bit of a process. I think the fans appreciated this performance today. Maybe there have been times this season where they haven’t been feeling like that. So we have to latch on to that and pick up good results for the rest of the season and good performances for the rest of the season and then go again next year.
What do you see for the rest of the season?
I just see it as a chance to work here every day which is a pleasure for me because of my link to the club. I enjoy that side. I don’t like losing games. I came into a team low on confidence, losing a lot of games, we haven’t had time to work. We now get a little period to work. People on the outside may well write it off, coming in eighth or 12th, or whatever it is. To me it means a lot. That for me is the challenge; to raise performance. I keep saying I haven’t had time to work, I have now had some time to work and I saw things today that I liked. There’s no doubt in that first 60 minutes. You ask Carlo how they felt in the first-half – we gave them a lot of problems. Individuals were performing at the level we want, the team was performing how we want. Brighton wasn’t at the level, I said that after the game and we can’t be a team that turns up here and doesn’t turn up there. It’s now competitive all the way through.
How important is it that this is a one-off in terms of Chelsea being out of the Champions League and how confident are you that it will only be one season out?
I think the way that the Premier League is moving so fast, the landscape changes. To say that any given team has this divine right to be in the top-four and in the Champions League, it’s tough. Manchester United have spent time out of the Champions League, Arsenal have spent time out of the Champions League. Lots of big clubs have. In this moment, to try and predict what is going to happen going forward – will it be good or bad – is pretty pointless. But I do think we can set the building blocks now to where we want to get to. I’m here for a reason, obviously, because this season being what it is and this role that I’m in. Can I affect it in this period? Hopefully, yeah, but the bigger thing for the club will be that we want to get back to where we were. But the challenge is big. Every club is investing. Maybe some clubs are more stable than we are at the minute in terms of the squad. So I don’t think we can get ahead of ourselves in terms of moments like tonight where there’s disappointment. I know what it takes to get back from being here as a player for a long time and as a coach before in the Champions League. We have to set those standards high again and I keep saying the same stuff but only the work of the group and having a clear direction from the group is the way. Let’s see it. In my next seven games, I will do my mini version of that. If the performance can rise, I think it will give the fans a good feeling and give us a good feeling in the summer and I think that’s as far as we can look.”
