‘Welcome home, Super Frank!’: Lampard’s Stamford Bridge homecoming turns nasty, as Todd Boehly argues with angry Chelsea fans who vent fury at Raheem Sterling
A banner unfurled before kick-off to mark Frank Lampard’s Stamford Bridge return read ‘Welcome home Super Frank’.
What followed on another chastening occasion for Chelsea was yet more evidence of how different the club he once knew now is.
- Co-owner Todd Boehly, in his executive box, locked in animated and heated conversation with angry fans who wanted answers.
- Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta reflecting the sense of agitation, leaping from the bench to join Lampard in his technical area and appeal desperately for an early Brighton booking.
- Cheers ringing out when Raheem Sterling’s number went up as part of a second-half quadruple substitution, some fans rising from their seats to vent their fury as Chelsea’s marquee summer signing reached the dugout.
Before kick-off, Chelsea fans unfurled a ‘Welcome Home Super Frank’ banner for Lampard
A 2-1 defeat to Brighton led some Blues fans to voice their displeasure at owner Todd Boehly
Others jeered Raheem Sterling as he was substituted during the game which Brighton bossed
Then there was the performance. This, as Lampard acknowledged, would not have happened during his first spell in charge, never mind when he was a player.
Brighton rocking up at Chelsea and strutting around as if they owned the place? Unthinkable once upon a time.
‘I don’t really care what other teams think of us as a club,’ Lampard said when asked about Chelsea’s reputation.
‘In the early Roman Abramovich years everybody hated us and it was good. We won. We want to strive to be that team where people come and have respect for you. At the moment we are not giving that. We need to be better, more difficult to play against. That will make us more confident.’
Chelsea are a shadow of those former sides, their aura stripped away. A trip to the Bridge holds little fear for opponents, ominous with Real Madrid to come tomorrow in the Champions League and a 2-0 first-leg deficit to overturn.
After Graham Potter’s ill-fated reign, Lampard was supposed to be the returning hero and unifying force who could paper over the cracks. But there has been no improvement, just more defeats.
How Lampard inspires the sort of dramatic turnaround required when the European champions come to town is anyone’s guess.
While he has not been able to lead this expensive group of players to better results than Potter, he has at least called it how it is, sounding more like a Chelsea manager in his assessment of what is lacking, something his predecessor was criticised for.
With time tight, it is mainly through his words that Lampard is trying to spark a reaction.
Lampard, who vowed to hold individual meetings with players on his return, said: ‘At the minute [trying to build confidence] has been more conversations and meetings than training.
‘When we get a chance to work we will because the team needs some physical work. At this level we have to be on the limit and I am not sure we are.
Lampard acknowledged that Chelsea’s problems have to be addressed with immediate effect
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi hailed their Paraguayan goalscorer Julio Enciso after the game
‘It doesn’t matter how we got here, it has to be addressed now.’ The truth delivered by the visitors would have been tough to take for Chelsea. They gutted Brighton last summer but only one club looks better for it — the Seagulls.
Brighton are a reflection of manager Roberto De Zerbi’s fear of nobody, his ambition taking them to new heights. And they continue to give a platform to little-known talents, Paraguayan attacker Julio Enciso the latest.
His stunning 25-yard winner capped an exciting cameo and De Zerbi said: ‘He could score more goals. We could have closed the game before.
‘I speak about him like this because I can. I am one of our biggest fans and I want to help him. I love working with young players but sometimes you have to be strong with them.’
