Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta has reaffirmed the benefit of having Frank Lampard in charge, insisting that it’ll help the players understand what it means to play for the club.
It would be ignorant for us to choose against acknowledging the clear disconnect between the players and the fans last season. Maurizio Sarri wasn’t welcomed with open arms, which didn’t help.
That was likely one of the primary motivations behind appointing Lampard, a man who knows this club like the back of his hand and will guarantee maximum application in hope of delivering success.
Azpilicueta has now spoken of the benefits of having a Chelsea man in charge, as well as noting that Lampard’s uniquely intense passion even brought Derby together last season.
He’s quoted by the Chelsea website saying:
“It’s good to have the manager with us. I watched some Derby games last season and obviously shared a dressing room with him so I know the way he was as a player and I could see in this week of training the way he wants us to play. He wants us to feel the shirt and train hard every day, which is something special that we’re all looking forward to.”
“Frank was here for a very long and successful period so he knows what it means to try to be better every day. Sometimes we lost games but we always wanted to win more and more. We have to be grateful and feel the passion to be Chelsea players. It’s a big club and we have to take the responsibility.”
Azpi has spent long enough at this club to understand what it means to play for Chelsea, but it’s both his and Lampard’s responsibility to educate those who don’t. We have full faith that they will.
