Frank Lampard has attributed Sunday’s draw against Leicester to tiredness from Wednesday’s Super Cup game against Liverpool.
Leicester dragged Chelsea into a 1-1 draw with Leicester on Super Sunday, days after returning from Istanbul on Thursday following a penalty shootout defeat by Liverpool on Wednesday.
While he said he wasn’t excusing the team’s defeat, Lampard said, “I hate the tiredness excuse, but it has to be a factor in the second half,” said the Chelsea head coach. “I saw Liverpool play yesterday, and I know it would have been tough for them. 120 minutes, flight back the next day, up until five in the morning, so I think it did have an impact on us late in the game.
“But again, I think we’re good enough to take that factor out and be better on the ball. I feel for the players a bit on that one, but still I don’t want to use it as the overriding excuse.”
Mason Mount had put Chelsea ahead after just seven minutes, but Ndidi’s leveller means Lampard is still winless in his three games in charge.
According to Lampard, “We can only look at ourselves. I think today once the pressure came, we didn’t have enough angles or options to keep the ball moving. We were camped in their half for the first 20, 25 minutes, but we need to be ready when the game changes, to grab it back.
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“We need a bit of personality about us. We saw it in midweek but today we didn’t quite have it. We have to improve, this is a process, and it will take time.
“I was under no illusions when I came here that there would be moments like this. It takes time to work to get to where we want to be, and that is thinking and working time.”
Speaking on the impact of Chelsea’s transfer, Lampard said, “We know that in the circumstances there are some tough elements to this year. We couldn’t bring players in, I couldn’t bring in any players to help try and push the way I’m thinking. And we lost Eden, someone who is so pivotal to this club.
“So I think everyone is understanding of that, and will be patient, but again I don’t want to use that as an excuse, because we can be better than we were for 60 minutes today, and we will be for sure.”