Lampard hopes ‘trust’ and patience will be like new signings for Chelsea after 'missed' transfer window

Frank Lampard asked.

He did not receive.

Chelsea did not sign anyone in January.

Lampard wanted someone to help the inconsistent attack, but he’ll have to hope that Christian Pulisic can act as a pseduo-new signing in a couple weeks — he’s expected to miss his 8th game in our last 10 today — and Ruben Loftus-Cheek can do the same some time later — and he practically would be a new signing for Lampard, having yet to feature this season. And maybe Giroud can stick one in the net at some point, too, provided he ever gets a look-in?

But beyond all that, Lampard’s also hoping that fans can approach and view the situation reasonably as well. That may be as bold of a hope as thinking that Chelsea could pull off a decent January transfer window, but it’s worth a shot.

“I’m not surprised because this is football and nothing should surprise me. [January] is a difficult window. I get that. And the fact we missed the last window made it a bit more crucial for us. Now we have missed two windows.”

Of course, we should all remember that we weren’t even supposed to have the winter transfer window in the first place. And while we gave the lawyers something to do and get the transfer ban reduced on principle, there was a massive paradigm shift at the club last summer. Things were set in motion, now we have to stay the course, stay strong, and see it through.

“I talk about the trust of the fans there and I still feel it.

“When we lost at home to Liverpool I have never seen a reaction to a home defeat like that. Because the fans are saying, ‘We get it, the players are young and there is a transitional feel about that’. We need that trust more than ever.

“There have been times when little elements aren’t coming off for us. Finishing being the main one. [We] have to accept that sometimes there are players who are young, were playing football in the Championship last year, or youth football last year and coming into the first team is very tough for them.

”I know our fans will give us that trust and we certainly need it to keep pushing for that this season. The reality is I have an idea here as well of where I want to get to and I don’t think any knee-jerk reaction from myself or from the club would have been positive either.”

This season was expected to be a bit of a struggle. In some ways, we’re doing much better than expected already. We’ll have to thank other teams for struggling even more hilariously, but that’s sports sometimes. No one cares how you finish once you finish.

But the second-half of the season will be an even greater challenge. Teams below us made big moves, the upcoming schedule looks daunting to say the least, and all the while our own expectations have been raised and capacities for patience lowered or exhausted. The mob is just as fickle in the football stadium as they were in the Colosseum. Careful with those thumbs!

“Everyone has to push and be on edge. It can’t be nicey nicey now for us until the end of the season. In every training session and in every game we play, we have to be absolutely on top of ourselves if we want that fourth place.

“Chelsea fans [...] they want the best. We know that recruitment is huge for a team that wants to be successful. [But] people will get bored if I keep crying about that fact. I have to work. The players have to work.”

”Expectations change. But the reality is that now that we’re in fourth but it’s going to be a real big fight. And we have to be up for that challenge. Young, middle, more experienced players. But the first person that’s up for that is me.”

-Frank Lampard; source: Goal

The real big fight starts in just a few hours. There’s no time waste!