There was no new manager bounce for Chelsea at Wolves on Saturday, as Frank Lampard watched his new team suffer a dismal 1-0 loss that leaves them closer to the Premier League's relegation zone than it does the top four.
"I was relying on the players on Saturday a little bit and giving some messaging, which we did as much as we could," the Blues caretaker boss admitted after the game.
Lampard inherited an extremely bloated squad from Graham Potter on the back of the club's unprecedented January transfer splurge, and he's ready to experiment with the line up in order to deliver a turnaround in fortunes.
"It’s a clean slate for everyone and that’s the challenge to all the players over the next few weeks," he added.
A lack of goals is the biggest concern for Lampard, with Chelsea having failed to find the net in eight of their last 13 games across all competitions.
It's fair to say, then, that Real Madrid won't be quaking in their boots when the Blues arrive at Santiago Bernabeu for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday. The reigning European champions saw off a much better Chelsea side at the same stage of last season's competition, and are many people's favourites to win the European Cup again come June 10.
However, Lampard will be out to turn the script on its head, and he has unfinished business in the Champions League, having been sacked by Chelsea in January 2021 before their unlikely run to glory under Thomas Tuchel.
A perfect game plan will be needed for the Blues to edge the heavyweight tie, and GOAL has assessed how they can really hurt Real across the two legs...
