Mateo Kovacic enjoying playing in Lampard’s ‘more direct, more aggressive’ football

Frank Lampard joined Chelsea this summer and has tweaked the style of play at the club. He has encouraged his players to be more direct, free, and aggressive in their play.

The change has seen improvements in many players individually and as well as their team play, making them an enjoyable outfit to watch this season.

One player who has benefited a lot is Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic.

The 25-year old was the only player Chelsea were allowed to sign this summer whilst under a transfer ban due to already being registered at the club on loan from Real Madrid.

What a signing he has proven to be. He has quickly become one of the most important players in Lampard’s starting eleven, and he is thriving in this expressive system that Lampard allows him to play.

He is enjoying his football, you can see that on the pitch.

But he has reiterated that fact in an interview on the Chelsea website.

He said:

“My game is to open spaces for other people.

“It’s a big strength and I have felt I am trying it a lot more because we play a little bit different football to last year.

“Now we are more direct, more aggressive, we just try things we didn’t try last year. I feel better.

“I think my best position is in a midfield two.

“I can play as well in a midfield three, but in the two I feel maybe more comfortable with more freedom. But in the end the formation doesn’t matter too much.

“Of course it’s better to have consistency in your position. To move around the pitch is not so good, when you’re playing one year there, and another year there.

“That has also been a bit of a problem in my career. Everything happened too fast for me.

“I had three great and difficult years in Madrid. I played, didn’t play, I didn’t get the continuity that I needed and what I have now here.

“I enjoyed it, we won three Champions Leagues, but Chelsea is coming in the best moment of my career. It has been the most important switch for now and I’m really pleased with that.

“I watched Jorginho when he was at Napoli, when we played against each other, but I think now he is getting even better.

“He is a great player. I didn’t know he was so good, but when you train with him you see it. I’m enjoying it, I think he is as well, and we need to keep working on that.

“The coach [Lampard] was the greatest goal-scoring midfielder that ever played. There were many, but he really scored a lot of goals.

“He tells me always that I need to shoot. Now I am trying more!

“It’s just a thing of mentality, to try to score, to be aggressive and to have the hunger to score goals. I want to improve that, I’m trying to improve that and I am sure I will get there.”

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