Lampard lists Problems for Pochettino at Chelsea

 

Chelsea interim manager Frank Lampard says the summer break will be beneficial to the Blues as they look to cut down their squad and says he has faced more challenges than he expected since taking over at Stamford Bridge

Frank Lampard outlined the long list of problems facing Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea, after the team finished the Premier League season in 12th with their worst-ever points total in the competition.

A 1-1 draw with Newcastle on the final day concluded a miserable season for the west London club, despite the huge transfer spending of their owners in the past two windows.

Lampard whose interim spell in charge is now over, with a record of just one win from 11 games  predicted a huge challenge is waiting for his successor, admitting that standards have dropped at the club.

Pochettino has signed a contract with Chelsea and is expected be unveiled as their next permanent boss in the near future but Lampard says the players will have to raise their level and attitude significantly for his appointment to lead to improvements.

“I’m a big fan of Pochettino as a manager, I think he’s a very good manager,” said Lampard. “But it’s not about which individual it might be, it’s about getting the right high level of manager.

“Pochettino’s history tells you he works at clubs of this sort of level and then letting him get to work with the players he creates a solid identity in a team that can win more games. Those things aren’t always overnight things, so we have to be careful with expectations a little bit.

“There’s a lot of work to be done. That’s my synopsis after six weeks, the basics that I keep talking about  standards are so relevant to this club at the minute. Standards collectively have dropped – I can be honest about that as it’s my last game and I might not see some of them that much anyway!

READ ALSOLampard blasts Chelsea flops for dropping their ‘standards’

“Standards as a collective for a club like Chelsea have to be at the maximum or you won’t be physically competitive enough, or you won’t be able to play at a high level, high speed the Premier League demands.

“If you’re not together in the dressing room and vocal in the dressing room, and driving each other and competitive because ‘I want your place and you want mine’… Every top team has to have that.

“When I came in, very quickly I could see that wasn’t there enough. Of course a very good manager can help that but everyone has to take responsibility.”