Chelsea have forgotten how to finish teams off, says Frank Lampard

Posted Friday, December 18, 2009 by theguardian.com

Chelsea have forgotten how to finish teams off, says Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard celebrates scoring Chelsea's winner against Portsmouth
from the penalty spot.

Frank Lampard fears that Chelsea have lost their ruthless edge during a nervy December and is concerned that opponents are threatening to score against them at every set piece. The England midfielder was a relieved man on Wednesday night, after his 79th-minute penalty secured an unconvincing 2-1 home win over Portsmouth. Lampard had missed a late penalty in the 2-1 defeat at Manchester City 11 days previously.

The result against Portsmouth also ensured there would be no inquest into his team throwing away another lead. In all four of their previous fixtures this month, Chelsea had surrendered a position of strength to lose or draw. Lampard hoped that the victory could mark a turning point but he warned that deficiencies still existed and had to be ironed out.

"It was never going to be easy with Portsmouth battling but we didn't capitalise on going 1-0 up," he said. "It's a problem at the moment. We're going 1-0 up and not pushing on like we were a few games ago. But it's very important we keep picking up points and Portsmouth was one of those games where the win was all that mattered.

"We would have been frustrated to let the lead slip again because [Saturday's 3-3 home draw with] Everton was definitely a slip-up for us. We played pretty well but gave away three freakish and bad goals. I'm sure people would have been talking again if we hadn't beaten Portsmouth so that's why it was important to get that win.

"We're having a patch at the moment where we're not pulling away from teams when we might do and every free-kick and corner seems to drop to them in a funny way. We are being punished every time and it is just a phase we are in. We went a long time without conceding goals and that was fantastic but now, we're having a patch where we are."

Portsmouth's fortuitous equaliser at Stamford Bridge stemmed from a twice deflected free-kick but it was still the 12th goal that Chelsea had conceded from a set piece out of 14 in the Premier League this season. Although they did defend more solidly in general on set pieces against Portsmouth, the situation has become so worrying that Lampard suggested that his team-mates had to beware the concession of soft free-kicks anywhere inside their own half. Opposing teams will not hesitate now to launch the ball long.

"We have to be a bit careful when the ball is in our half even if they're a bit deep because teams like Portsmouth can load players into the box at free-kicks," Lampard said. "It's important to try and stay on your feet. Some fouls you can't help because you've mistimed the tackle but we don't want to be too clumsy and let people keep launching it in the box.

"Look at the Everton goals, two of them were bounce backs, sometimes you have little phases when that happens and you're unlucky. We just have to keep going."

Chelsea's win maintained their three-point advantage over Manchester United at the top of the table, although there is no panic at Old Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, has said on more than one occasion that "if we get to January within touching distance of the leaders, then we're in with a great chance". The Scot's confidence comes from his team's habit of finding their best form in the second half of the season yet Lampard bridled at Ferguson's view.

"It's a mind game, it's as simple as that," he said. "If we're in touching distance of them, then they might worry about us. They know we can put a run together, we did it last season. We had a really bad time around this time last year but when Guus Hiddink came in [to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari in February], we were in the best form by far of anyone in the league.

"We can do that again. We know it's a mind game. Fair enough, United have a history of doing it but we've had a history of doing it as well. We're very determined this year."