Frank Lampard has insisted that the Premier League should give a substantial interval of rest to players before the next season begins.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has expressed his discontent and anger at the tight schedule of football that his team will have to undergo before the new season begins. He feels the players will suffer because of the same and the blow will ultimately end up harming the club.
The tale of 2 player managers
The confession came after the FA Cup final loss against Arsenal. As the game ended, Cesar Azpilicueta and Christian Pulisic limped off with a hamstring injury and Pedro left in a stretcher! As the Blues ended the game with 9 men and a blaring 2-1 loss.
Mikel Arteta lifted his first silverware for the Gunners, winning the FA Cup both as a player and manager. This gave hope to a despondent Arsenal team and fans who finally got a trophy and financial incentive to rebuild the squad.
Lampard, on the other hand, fears falling prey to management that doesn’t like to give time to their managers (Conte smiles from a corner). Though he has been absolutely remarkable for the club in his first spell as the club’s manager, there has seen no silverware under him. Not yet at least.
Tight schedule and the effect on fatigue
Fatigue has been a major performance issue for players post-hiatus. Manchester United felt the blow when a tired and slow team finished second best against Chelsea at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals. Just after Bailly left in a stretcher did Chelsea score. They played 4 games in 1 week.
The Premier League’s new season is scheduled to begin on September 12. Frank Lampard’s business in Chelsea for the season may have ended in England, but European football still awaits. A very little possibility, yet they are still in this year’s Champions League.
Bayern Munich has a 3-0 lead over the Blues, desperate to nail the coffin in the return fixture. But could Chelsea do a Liverpool over Barcelona, they will have the season up to August 29 maximum – the date for the Champions League final.
In such a case, they will have just a fortnight till regular English League football begins. “The players need a break”, Lampard has complained. He feels, even if Chelsea fails to progress in the Champions League, the interregnum is still too little and the 12th of next month is ‘too early’.
Deliberations about the break
He has insisted the Premier League needs to look into their situation and consider adjusting dates accordingly. He feels Chelsea “deserves” a fair start next season as an English representative in this year’s Champions League.
Last month, the Premier League clubs had agreed on a provision to give a minimum 30-day-break to clubs playing in the Champions League. That is a clause that Lampard may ask upon if they progress in the league.
However, there is another impediment – EURO 2021. While the clubs insist on the importance of resting breaks, the Premier League is adamant about truncation in the next season to give enough time for EURO to begin next year.
The post Chelsea manager Lampard warns “The players need a break” appeared first on The12thMan.
