Frank Lampard delivers an emphatic message at Leicester - The youngsters MUST learn from it and move on.

Leicester City away, FA Cup Quarter Final and it’s half-time. Having watched arguably our most disjointed performance of the season so far and since the lockdown has eased with football back on our screens and with more chance of winning money at https://www.usrealmoney-casinos.com/ than betting on Chelsea to that point, Frank Lampard took the opportunity to remind everyone within that Chelsea changing room of what it means to wear the Chelsea badge. For the likes of Billy Gilmour, Mason Mount and Reece James who were immediately replaced, it could be the best thing to happen to each of them moving forward.

Let’s be honest here, the Chelsea youngsters that have taken the step up into the first team have been excellent. All of us could only hope that they settled into life at Chelsea and the Premier League as quickly as possible with an initial acceptance that it would take them some time. To challenge for the top six and a good cup run had been the levels of expectation of Chelsea at the beginning of the season with those sentiments seemingly echoed in the corridors of Stamford Bridge.

Let’s not forget that looking back to when Frank Lampard was appointed as manager, the club had just sold Eden Hazard to Real Madrid and were fighting an imposed two window transfer ban The Bookies had written Chelsea off before a ball was kicked and would tell you to spend your money at UK Online Casinos instead. Frank Lampard, with only a single season’s experience in the Championship with Derby County, took the job knowing the restrictions in place but was determined to work hard to impose his way – the Chelsea way with the playing squad surrounding himself with those who were Chelsea.

Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Reece James, Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Billy Gilmour have all been implemented into the Chelsea first team squad as a result and Premier League – top level football. All of them have made some sort of impact during the course of the season and have received plaudits for how well they have made the transition.

I may be wrong here but I believe that up to the Leicester game last Sunday, Frank Lampard had backed the youngsters in public, had shown his full support and protected them from criticism from the media. On Sunday, those three youngsters that had literally been lauded all season were replaced and there was bound to be questions asked in the post-match interviews. In fact, as the second half played out, Billy Gilmour seemed to be having a long chat to one of the coaching team in the stands.

Ross Barkley speaking first to the media, revealed that Lampard had stated that the performance in that first half was NOT worthy of the Chelsea Badge, reminding everyone of what it takes to play for Chelsea and changes were made to implement what was being demanded as soon as possible.

When Frank Lampard himself was asked the question, having watched a more experienced side turn the game back into our favour with dominant possession and ultimately the match-winning goal, he was quick to point out that he could have replaced ANY of the starting eleven indicating that it was not just the three youngsters that had been to blame in that first-half. Once again protecting his players publicly but internally, the message had been delivered in emphatic style.

They say in football and in life I guess that you must learn from your mistakes, when you face struggles or hard times you pick yourselves up again and become stronger for it. That’s the same for Billy Gilmour, Mason Mount and Reece James. All of them seem from the outside in players who are willing to listen, to learn and to grow as professionals listening to Frank Lampard and the wealth of experience he has in the game. We will have to wait and see how they react on the football pitch when next given the opportunity to wear the Chelsea badge – as I say I believe it to be in the right way 100%.

Frank Lampard has been criticised in some sections of the media for how he handled the situation at half-time. For me, it’s excellent man management.

 

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