Frank Lampard reveals injury woes and urges team to step up
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 midfielder Frank Lampard recently admitted that he was not aware of the full extent of his injuries, which kept him out for the better part of this season. He said there were some moments where he “couldn’t see the light
at the end of the tunnel.” The http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/England-c749 midfielder’s long absence was not only tough on the player but on the club as well, as they slipped from top of the English Premier League table to 5th place. During that period, they secured only 10 points
from a possible 33, which happens to be their worst run in over 15 years.
At the start of the season Lampard was in terrific form, he took off from where he had left off the previous season, scoring goals and providing assists. However, as soon as the end of August, he had picked up an injury, which
left him in need of an operation. After the successful operation, his return was delayed as he picked up injury after injury in training, keeping him out for over four months. Now, it is January, the second half of the season, and the star midfielder finally
spoke out on the injury that ruined his season.
Lampard said in an interview, “It was a bad injury and I wasn’t really told that in the beginning. I was expecting it to be a few weeks and people were telling me that. In the end I went to see someone who told me it was a ‘three-month
minimum’ injury. You feel like an outcast when you’re traipsing around on your own doing afternoon training. Once I got my head around that, it was easier to take. It wasn’t misdiagnosed. It was probably a bit my fault because I always try and push.”
The Chelsea star admitted the stay-away was his own fault, as he had not rested during the time, which was required to recover fully. He revealed the extra sessions in the gym were responsible for his delayed return and he blamed
himself for that. He added, “If I could go back I would have given it a lot more rest when I first did the injury.” Even after returning, the midfielder was not to his fullest, which was a big disappointment to both manager Carlo Ancelotti and the fans; however,
he seems to be returning to his former self.
A glimpse of him was seen during the 7-0 thrashing of Ipswich Town in the third round of the FA Cup, where Frank Lampard scored two goals towards the end of the second half. However, Lampard was not too impressed with his side’s
big win, saying they had to prove themselves against big teams in the English Premier League and the Champions League. Though, he admitted that a win like the one over Ipswich Town was needed to revive the team’s confidence.
The Chelsea vice captain dismissed the reason for their recent decline as being the injuries of key players, including himself. He insisted Carlo Ancelotti’s side possessed the required depth and quality players, who had the potential
to cover for injured players in a crisis such as what the Blues recently went through. He urged the manager to bring in more players in the January transfer window and insisted the players had to regain their confidence and work hard to get back to where they
were at the start of the season - top of the table.
Lampard continued, “A club like ours should be able to cover injuries in different positions. Not winning games is a big thing and there are probably quite a few reasons for that. Confidence might be one of them and quality, maybe
work-rate. It’s just a test of the squad and a test of character. Everyone has periods like this to an extent but this one’s been prolonged and that’s the upsetting thing. We need to step it up across the board to get back to where we want to be.”
The Blues have a tough few months coming up ahead, taking on http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809 in February and then later in the month they face FC Copenhagen in the Champions League. March will prove to be even tougher as they have the second leg of
the European competition along with fixtures against a seemingly unstoppable Manchester United and a revived Manchester City. If Chelsea hope to finish decently in the Premier League and finally claim the Champions League crown, the Blues will have to follow
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Frank-Lampard-c14097’s advice.
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