(Reuters) – Chelsea manager Frank Lampard showed his ruthless side when he picked up three of his best young players at halftime in the FA Cup 1-0 quarter-final victory over Leicester City on Sunday.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley after the game when the game continues after the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Tim Keeton / Pool via REUTERS behind closed doors
Lampard was clearly dissatisfied with what he saw in the first 45 minutes and admitted that he could have replaced seven or eight of his players during the break.
When it was Mason Mount, Billy Gilmour and Reece James gave way to the much more experienced trio of Ross Barkley, Mateo Kovacic and Cesar Azpilicueta, and the difference was clear.
Barkley scored the only goal of the game in the 63rd minute and shot on Willian’s cross to direct a shot home.
Chelsea record player Lampard’s trust in youth has been an impressive part of his first season since returning to Stamford Bridge as manager, but he’s not afraid to give out a hard love when needed, like it was on Sunday at King Power Stadium.
“We haven’t played that badly since I got back. At half-time we were lucky that it was 0-0,” he said.
“The first rules of football are urgency and sprinting back. If you don’t, you can’t keep up. Our game has to be brighter. There were glimpses in the second half, but we can’t show up again. We were lucky today. ”
Lampard said his young players would “take it on the chin”.
“It is a learning experience. I could have moved out more or different players. I don’t pull them out by myself. They will be top players for this club and have top careers, ”he added.
“But if I have to do something in games, I will do it. It was one of those games where I had to do something. ”
Chelsea have won all three games since the restart of the season, twice in the Premier League to hold the top four, and can now wait for a cup semi-final against Manchester United.
Reporting by Martyn Herman; Edited by Ken Ferris and Pritha Sarkar
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