has admitted that ’s bloated squad is to blame for his team’s lack of cohesion and terrible winless run.
The Chelsea legend was brought back to Stamford Bridge at the start of April as an interim manager to replace the sacked and bring a sense of stability and joy back to the club.
However, things have only gotten worse since his return, with the Blues losing all six of his games in charge so far by a combined score of 12-2, which had extended their winless run to nine games.
They have the chance to break that streak on Saturday against , but should they lose it would mean that Chelsea would have lost seven matches in a row for the first time since the 1960/61 season.
Furthermore, it would also mean that Lampard will have lost 11 consecutive matches, stretching back to his spell at Everton, matching former Norwich manager Daniel Farke’s unwanted record.
Asked in his pre-match press conference why that much-needed win has proved elusive, the 44-year-old said: ‘We obviously have a big squad which I think was done for all the right intentions but of course to manage that and get a really tight, connected unit which is the first thing in post [is difficult].
‘[We need] connected people working together in a positive way. Then you can start talking about tactics, where are we going on the pitch.
‘If you don’t have that it is very tough and that has been very challenging. It’s something that should and will be addressed going forwards.
‘We are the team that changes its [starting] 11 the most so again coming in at this point for me is trying to find the connections in the team, partnerships within the team which are crucial.
‘We all know the great teams we have witnessed out there over the years and you can pretty much name connections. The full-backs – Liverpool off the top of my head, two full-backs who are central to what they do.’
Thanks to Todd Boehly’s record breaking spending spree, Chelsea have a 32-man squad, with Lampard using a staggering 28 players in his first six games alone.
Trimming the squad down will be the first task for the Blues’ next permanent manager, with former Tottenham and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino still in talks to takeover the west London club, though Lampard had no update on this matter.
For now, the objective is just to beat a Bournemouth side that have remarkably won five of their last seven games and who could move ahead of Chelsea in the table if they claim the three points.
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