It is now nearly two weeks since Frank Lampard started work at Chelsea and in that time he has been encouraged by what he has seen from the players at his disposal.
Knowing from the outset the chances of us being able to sign players in this transfer window was highly unlikely, Lampard admitted it could be a blessing in disguise not having ‘a stressful start of August’. It has also meant he has been able to work with the pool of players he will be selecting from this season, aside from Willian who is a recent Copa America winner with Brazil.
‘My job is to have absolute belief in the players and that’s what training has started to give me,’ Lampard explained. ‘I can see quality and attitude through the squad.
‘I have inherited very good players. We can’t bring players in, we know that, but I am very happy with the squad and determined for us to be successful.
‘When you know where you’re at it absolutely homes in what is important: the club together, players, staff and fans, giving everything to improve daily, to improve game by game. It helps my focus.
‘With the squad we have we can be really competitive this year,’ added Lampard.
‘My job now is to work hard with them in pre-season. I like my team to play with a lot of energy and speed, with and without the ball. If we lose the ball I want to win it back as quickly as I can.
‘When we have the ball I want to move the ball quickly and create chances to win games and to play football we enjoy. That’s my job now.’
Lampard has confirmed Mason Mount will be a part of his squad this season after the 20-year-old signed a new five-year deal at the club. There remains the possibility other young Blues being involved in the coming months, but Lampard insisted they must prove to him they are worthy of making the step up.
‘Everybody knows I have a keen eye for the young players the Academy has produced. We now have a batch of them that are fighting to get into the first team.
‘To be absolutely clear they now have to make the difference. It’s a road, it’s a pathway that is given to them, and they now have to be the ones who play well enough to get into the team.
‘I don’t care about age, I just care about performance and how people train and play. It’s up to those young players to show what they can do.’