Chelsea are now underdogs for top four, proclaims Frank Lampard
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has admitted that his side are now underdogs to make a top four berth after the Blues failed to spend in January. The club overturned their transfer ban leaving them free to spend on reinforcements but despite being linked to a catalogue of players, no move materialized.
The Blues were reportedly close to moves for Edinson Cavani, Salomon Rondon, Timo Werner, Jadon Sancho and even Dries Mertens last month but were unable to get anything across the line. That is despite Frank Lampard admitting in December that Chelsea needed new additions in the winter window to help them reinforce their bid for a top-four spot this season.
However, with the club failing to get any moves done despite injuries across the team-sheet, Frank Lampard went on to admit that his side are now underdogs in the race for the top four. The former Derby County manager also added that their rivals have strengthened well in all the right areas and that makes the final stretch of the season even harder.
“Look at Manchester United signing a big, big player, a world class player in my opinion. And the teams around us, Sheffield United making fantastic signings. Chris Wilder’s job is incredible because he’s had years to work that group and now they’re adding where he sees fit. Tottenham have signed a few, and they’re not far behind us,” he said reported the Guardian.
“And not only have they signed a few, but a couple of players have left where they were towards the end of their contracts and maybe weren’t happy being at the club. Sometimes that’s as important as bringing players in. This is not to talk ourselves down, because we’re six points clear in fourth, now we probably become the underdogs … because the teams around us have strengthened.”
Besides their lack of transfers, the Blues also saw moves for Olivier Giroud fall apart with them losing Victor Moses, Tariq Lamptey and a few other players. But despite that Lampard revealed that transfers for transfers sake makes no sense with the Blues looking to build a project by recruiting the right players. He also admitted that the entire side will now have to work even harder to improve their position if they want to make the right moves in the summer.
“I have to be the first person who remains positive and I have to be truthful when I speak out loud. We know that recruitment is huge for a team that wants to be successful. Look no further than Liverpool and Manchester City in recent years. But it’s a fact. People will get bored if I keep crying about that fact. I have to work.
“The players have to work. I think at the start of the season nobody had us in their top four. But the reality is that now … it’s going to be a real big fight. Let’s not forget it’s a difficult window. The fact we missed the last window made it a bit more crucial for us. Now we have missed two windows,” he added.
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