Frank Lampard rates Chelsea FC’s Premier League title chances
Frank Lampard opens up about Chelsea FC's Premier League title hopes this season and beyond
Frank Lampard has insisted that his Chelsea FC side are not yet serious contenders for the Premier League title – but says he has been encouraged by the progress he has seen from the Blues this term.
The Blues were one of the biggest spending clubs in the summer transfer window as they brought in eight new players to bolster their squad ahead of Lampard’s second season in charge.
Chelsea FC brought in the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Thiago Silva and Edouard Mendy as Lampard added further quality to his squad in multiple positions.
The west London side have been in decent form this season as Lampard looks to guide his side to an improvement on their fourth-placed finish from last term.
However, the former England midfielder does not feel that his side are yet ready to be classed as genuine title contenders.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports before his side’s 3-1 defeat by Arsenal on Boxing Day, Lampard said: “I’m happy but we always want more as managers.
“The reality is at the start of the season, we had some new players while others were missing, and we lacked a pre-season. Looking at our early results, we saw some good and some not-so-good performances.
“We then went on a really good run which saw a lot of improvement in the team, so I’m pretty happy but we want more. We want to be challenging for titles, but we have to accept sometimes that it’s step by step. We’ve made some steps, but I feel we have the potential to make a lot more.
“If anything, this season has shown that most teams have had difficult moments and a large part of that comes down to preparation. Preparation for the season is something that we certainly didn’t have. We mustn’t get too far ahead of ourselves or too far down the line.
“We have to think of the short-term and the games in front of us and not be too reactionary after defeats last week or even wins and our unbeaten run. It’s about making continual improvement and that’s important for focus.
“It’s hard [to set a target]. It’s clear I ask them every year to kick on – in my job, that’s what you have to do all the time, no matter what your situation. Coming fourth for us was a positive last year considering the circumstances around it but every year looks different and every squad improves around us.
“We bought players in and some of them need time, so I don’t set long-term targets. We’re trying to bridge a gap that was clearly there in the last few seasons to Liverpool and Manchester City in terms of consistency.
“We’ve had our moments of consistency and good form but we have to work to get even more consistent so we can challenge.”
Chelsea FC will return to Premier League action on Monday night when they host Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues will then take on Manchester City at home on Sunday 3 January in their first game of 2021.
