Here are your Chelsea morning headlines for Monday, 19 October.
Lampard calls on players to develop ‘game management’
Frank Lampard has suggested his players need to be more sensible in the dying stages of games after Saturday’s 3-3 draw against Southampton.
Chelsea led 2-0 and then 3-2 at Stamford Bridge, but a late goal from Jannik Vestergaard earned the visitors a point.
And Lampard has urged his team to take more responsibility when leading late on.
“I am certainly not trying to play brave football in the dying moments of the game,” the Blues boss said.
“That was my message from the side throughout the second half of the game, that we needed to go longer, miss out their press.
“I don’t think the players did that enough, we tried to play too much. Some of that is ingrained in the players, that they want to try to play football.
“It’s certainly something that I’m not a big advocate of, if the high pressure is coming, missing out the pressure is certainly a route to get the ball into the other half and get up the pitch.
“Use our players high up the pitch and that was probably my biggest disappointment of the second half, that the players didn’t put into action that message.
“What I am talking about is game management. When the game turns on you, sometimes the players have to gauge that on the pitch, that’s part of being a top player at Chelsea and it’s where we want to go.
“It’s absolutely the players’ choice and if there are moments we have to see out a game then the players have to do that on the pitch, there is no miscommunication from that point at all.”
Ziyech says Chelsea ‘don’t have time’ to drop points
New Chelsea signing Hakim Ziyech has insisted his side need to find some form after Saturday’s draw against Southampton.
The 27-year-old made his debut in the game, coming on as a second-half substitute.
And he watched on as the visitors scored a late equaliser to deny Chelsea a victory.
“Of course it will take time, but we also don't have time, because the games are coming really quick, so we have to learn quickly,” Ziyech said in an interview with the club website.
“This is a moment we can learn from, but it can't happen in the last minute.”
Chelsea identify Milan goalkeeper as target
Gianluigi Donnarumma is a target for Chelsea as they look to secure one of Europe’s most promising young goalkeepers.
The 21-year-old is in the final year of his contract with Milan having emerged as a teenager with the Serie A club.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Chelsea were interested in the summer, but instead opted to sign Edouard Mendy from Rennes.
Milan are reportedly still hopeful of tying Donnarumma down to a new contract, although Chelsea are one of a number of clubs expected to be in for the youngster.
