The Blues Still The Best Team
FRANK Lampard believes Chelsea is still the best team in the English Premier League, and is determined to hammer home the point by inflicting a couple of defeats on new champion Manchester United.
Jose Mourinho's side surrendered the title on Sunday, but has a chance to show its still a match for United at Stamford Bridge, in a Premier League game on Thursday (AEST), and in the May 19 FA Cup final at Wembley.
Lampard will join his teammates in forming a guard of honour for United before kick-off on Thursday, but his passionate defence of Chelsea's position as the English game's top dog makes it safe to assume he will do so grudgingly.
"The best team in the country wins the league, that's what you say, especially when you win it," said Lampard. "But I think we've got the best squad.
"We've got a huge game coming up against United in the Cup final, but words don't mean much if you start saying 'we're the best.' What matters is performance and we've had to perform against a lot of things this year.
"There are a lot of reasons we lost the league and some of them weren't in our control. We can't make excuses and have to give credit to United who've had a great season, but I believe that without the injuries to Petr (Czech) and John (Terry) and many, many more there wouldn't be that gap in points.
"To me that's just a fact. But it's no excuse and all credit to United for what they've achieved. But we'll be back."
Lampard insists Chelsea will return stronger than ever after learning the lessons of a traumatic season.
The most important issue to be resolved, now Mourinho's future seems settled, is the failure of Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack to assimilate themselves into the win-at-all-costs mentality of the Chelsea dressing room.
Mourinho hinted after Sunday's match he is unhappy with the efforts of a small group of his players, and it seems likely Shevchenko and Ballack were uppermost in his thoughts.
While Lampard refused to single out any of his colleagues, the England midfield player was equally vociferous in his belief that not every player was pulling in the same direction.
"We've fought against a lot of things, big injuries to big players at big times in the season and points we wouldn't have lost we lost," he said.
"There've been other problems at the club and they have to be addressed, simple as that. We cannot and have not to lose the spirit that has got us where we are, with certain people.
"You'll emphasise what I mean when you saw how we played today on the pitch, with 11 players fighting, playing and should have won the game with 10 men.
"That's who we are and what we're about. Next year we have to make sure we're focussed on being champions again. If we keep saying there's things we've been battling against we have to put them right.
"It's been difficult, but you have to focus and learn through all these things. Sometimes it's not as easy as other clubs, but the only way to deal with it is to come through it with a bit more knowledge and a bit more strength."
Jose Mourinho's side surrendered the title on Sunday, but has a chance to show its still a match for United at Stamford Bridge, in a Premier League game on Thursday (AEST), and in the May 19 FA Cup final at Wembley.
Lampard will join his teammates in forming a guard of honour for United before kick-off on Thursday, but his passionate defence of Chelsea's position as the English game's top dog makes it safe to assume he will do so grudgingly.
"The best team in the country wins the league, that's what you say, especially when you win it," said Lampard. "But I think we've got the best squad.
"We've got a huge game coming up against United in the Cup final, but words don't mean much if you start saying 'we're the best.' What matters is performance and we've had to perform against a lot of things this year.
"There are a lot of reasons we lost the league and some of them weren't in our control. We can't make excuses and have to give credit to United who've had a great season, but I believe that without the injuries to Petr (Czech) and John (Terry) and many, many more there wouldn't be that gap in points.
"To me that's just a fact. But it's no excuse and all credit to United for what they've achieved. But we'll be back."
Lampard insists Chelsea will return stronger than ever after learning the lessons of a traumatic season.
The most important issue to be resolved, now Mourinho's future seems settled, is the failure of Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack to assimilate themselves into the win-at-all-costs mentality of the Chelsea dressing room.
Mourinho hinted after Sunday's match he is unhappy with the efforts of a small group of his players, and it seems likely Shevchenko and Ballack were uppermost in his thoughts.
While Lampard refused to single out any of his colleagues, the England midfield player was equally vociferous in his belief that not every player was pulling in the same direction.
"We've fought against a lot of things, big injuries to big players at big times in the season and points we wouldn't have lost we lost," he said.
"There've been other problems at the club and they have to be addressed, simple as that. We cannot and have not to lose the spirit that has got us where we are, with certain people.
"You'll emphasise what I mean when you saw how we played today on the pitch, with 11 players fighting, playing and should have won the game with 10 men.
"That's who we are and what we're about. Next year we have to make sure we're focussed on being champions again. If we keep saying there's things we've been battling against we have to put them right.
"It's been difficult, but you have to focus and learn through all these things. Sometimes it's not as easy as other clubs, but the only way to deal with it is to come through it with a bit more knowledge and a bit more strength."
Labels: epl news
posted by Creative_Clan at
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