https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2020/07/21/
frank-lampard-press-conference-ahead-of-liverpool
Lampard on Kante's fitness, Hudson-Odoi's form and pushing to achieve our
primary target
21 Jul 2020
The Blues will be without N'Golo Kante once again for tomorrow's trip to
Anfield, a game Frank Lampard is expecting to be full of challenges
despite Liverpool's drop-off in results since being crowned Premier League
champions.
https://i.imgur.com/EBblCII.jpg
The team news was provided in an update from Lampard at the manager's
video press conference to preview our penultimate game of this interrupted
Premier League campaign.
We take on Jurgen Klopp's side on Wednesday evening, kick-off 8.15pm, with
a win able to secure Champions League football next season.
'N'Golo is not fit,' revealed the boss. 'He's not ready for this game.'
https://i.imgur.com/HM5YFnH.jpg
Kante will have only a watching brief again at Anfield tomorrow
Despite having dropped points against Manchester City, Burnley and Arsenal
since our victory over City handed them the title last month, Lampard is
preparing to face a full-strength team fully firing and eager to put on a
show on the night they finally get their hands on the Premier League
trophy.
'It does change the face of it,' admitted Lampard, speaking from
experience as a three-time Premier League winner himself.
'Liverpool have had an incredible campaign and maybe it's normal
sometimes when you succeed and get over the line like they have in such
great fashion that there can be a small dip, which they've had a little
bit in results because they were virtually unbeatable for a big period.
https://i.imgur.com/SIsSarN.jpg
Lampard says his team will go to Merseyside full of respect for the job
Klopp's side have done this season
'I don't consider that though. I only consider the strong Liverpool that
we've seen for big parts of the season, that's the Liverpool I expect.'
Lampard was asked whether his side will give the champions a guard of
honour.
'I'm very happy to give a guard of honour for a team that deserve it,
having won the league in such style as well. We go there with huge
respect.
'We're competitive here but you have to understand when a team has won the
league well and we'll handle that in the right way but focus on the game.'
In terms of bridging the gap on the teams above us, Frank knows there is a
lot of work to do.
'We have a long way to go and we have to be realistic about that as a
club, as do many of the other clubs because Liverpool and Manchester City
have shown an incredible consistency that only comes through hard work and
with fantastic players and fantastic coaching.
'We're at a different point in the curve and we have to respect that and
work towards it. The points don't lie over the last few seasons but we
have to have some strong targets and we want to close that gap.'
Callum Hudson-Odoi's recent form was also put forward as a subject of
discussion.
'I've spoken about Callum a lot and he needs to keep training at the
highest level, which is what I've seen him doing particularly in the last
week or 10 days. In the two games he's come on, he's had good impacts and
that's the way he needs to continue.
'He's a young player with great talent and potential and I want to see
that potential come through.'
Lampard did not want to talk about transfer rumours but did explain how he
has been relaying his vision for the future to the new signings who have
come in.
'If I work for this club, I want to get the best out of the group that I
have and if we're looking at bringing in players and there's a chance to
speak to them, you just want to speak about the vision and what you want
for the club.
'When I get the opportunity to do that, I'll hopefully do it with a lot of
passion and feeling and an idea of what I want. I remember being a player
and having certain conversations like that with different managers or
people in football and it's an important thing.
'As a player you want to join something that's going somewhere and that's
the only way I will speak to players either that I get the opportunity to
speak to or my own players. We all have to feel that the vision and the
idea of playing for Chelsea is a really positive one and my job sometimes
is to say that.'
The target of Champions League qualification will be settled in the next
five days and Lampard admitted it was his number one priority at the
season start.
'We have to say it was the number one goal at the start of the season
because it's the competition that's right in front of you at the start and
the competition that you have to produce the most consistency in, which
generally means the top teams come to the top.
'It's a gauge of where you are as a club and it's about the prestige of
wanting to stay in the Champions League. We've done it a lot over the last
10 or 15 years at Chelsea. This year was probably the most testing time to
try and be in there so if we do, I'll be happy.
'Does it mean we'll be challenging for the league next year? No. It just
means we've made a really good step this year, if we get there, and then
we have to work out how we bridge that gap because it still remains a lot
of points.'