'That's why I play five at the back!' - Frank Lampard mocks his own lacklustre Chelsea defence & calls out players for poor training levels

• Blues have struggled all season
• Worked through three managers
• Issues at both ends of the field

WHAT HAPPENED? The Blues legend answered an SOS call from Stamford Bridge in April after seeing Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter relieved of their managerial duties in west London. Lampard has been unable to turn Chelsea’s season around, with eight defeats suffered through 10 games, and he admits that leaks at the back continue to prove costly – leading to him loading his back line at times in a bid to ensure that the Blues at least have bodies in the way of rampaging opposition attackers.

WHAT THEY SAID: Lampard told Sky Sports after witnessing a demoralising 4-1 defeat at Manchester United that saw more individual errors contribute to three points being dropped by a team that is destined to finish in the bottom-half of the table: “We were the better football team in the first half – in possession, chances we matched them at least. To be 2-0 down is probably a sign of where we’re at. Second half, probably a sign of where we’re at. Our goal count for the season shows it’s a problem we don’t score goals enough. We gave them some threats in the first half but not many in the first half. Some of the defending in the second half showed why we play a back five at times.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Lampard, who will be stepping down at the end of the season, added on the reasons for Chelsea falling well below the expected standard in 2022-23: “It’s a question I think as a professional at the top level, will be asked of you in a period of bad form. The only way to answer that is to answer with your performance and it starts with how you work and how you train and how you prepare and if I’m honest collectively that’s been the thing that was quite glaringly short.

“There are a lot of reasons for that, that’s not just a dig, that’s because there sometimes are variables. It’s been a tough season, people talk about the squad size, very valid things. At the same time, coming in this short period, you can see, when a group is training and it’s really together and pushing and pushing each other, then good things come and you as an individual improve within that. At the moment, that momentum is not there, it’s clear.”

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WHAT NEXT? Chelsea will bring the curtain down on a forgettable campaign when playing host to Newcastle on Sunday, with the Magpies having shown in securing a top-four finish and Champions League qualification this term what needs to be done at Stamford Bridge when it comes to shrewd recruitment and managerial stability.