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Chelsea boss Frank Lampard went on the offensive on Friday, accusing journalists of using ‘confirmation bias’ to try and stoke a negative reaction among fans as pressure swells around his future.
Lampard’s job looks increasingly uncertain after a poor run that has seen Chelsea lose five of their past eight Premier League matches.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup fourth-round clash with Luton, Lampard was asked how vital Petr Cech’s presence is around a squad who look short of confidence.
Frank Lampard and Chelsea are in desperate need of a good result having fallen off the pace
Talk is mounting on Lampard’s future having only won one out of their last five league games
Before insisting Cech is ‘vital’, the coach took exception to the question and some of the press coverage in recent weeks.
‘To be fair, I think their confidence would be shot if they were to read some of the pieces you write at the minute,’ he told the reporter.
‘I read some of them and some of the confirmation bias you always reflect on games with, it’s almost like a social media pundit to try and get a reaction in a negative way.
‘I read the pieces when we were doing well as well and they didn’t go both ways.
‘So for a journalist to be objective would be a big start. Because if the players do read it, I’d feel like that.’
His defiant response to The Athletic reporter Liam Twomey, came during a difficult press conference which included several questions about the pressure he faced – and the names being linked with his job.
In a piece from The Athletic on Wednesday it was quoted: ‘This now has the look of a broken team, a miserable squad and a terminal decline.’
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Lampard was asked how he shuts out all the noise. He said: ‘I don’t listen to it. It’s only everywhere if you want to go scroll through social media or something. I don’t do that.
‘I’m not stupid, I know the pressure that comes with managing a top football club but I only do my job. So it doesn’t matter to me.’
Lampard added: ‘The pressure is fine. You’re obviously more happy when you’re winning games. I was more happy in November, October than I’ve been in mid-December onwards but it comes with the territory.
‘You can look around the Premier League and can see teams this season that have had problems, teams now that are having problems that aren’t used to having problems. So I just to get on with the job.
‘Players will always make you a good, bad or in-between manager so you have to have buy-in from the dressing room because my opinion is that football is whatever per cent tactics but a much bigger percentage of environment, drive, positivity and desire which are the basics in football.’
Chelsea fans have stuck by their manager despite the pressure on his job, with a banner reading ‘In Frank we trust. Then. Now. Forever,’ now placed at Stamford Bridge.
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Lampard said: ‘In terms of the banner, I really appreciate it – whether it helps or not – what the fans are doing, to put it together to create the banner, I think everyone who knows me, watched me as a player knows how I feel about this club so I appreciate it very much.’
His press conference was not the first time Lampard has shown his spiky side since becoming Chelsea manager.
In July, he lost his cool and exploded into a heated, foul-mouthed rant towards Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool bench during a 5-3 defeat at Anfield.
‘How is that a foul? There’s no foul there,’ Lampard appeared to shout after a tackle on the edge of the Chelsea area, taking steps towards Liverpool boss Klopp before the fourth official intervened.
‘Sit down then,’ Lampard could be heard barking at the German, before getting more irate as Klopp gestured a calm down motion with his outstretched arms.
Lampard then turned his attention to Liverpool’s No.2 Pep Lijnders, as Klopp could be heard slowly repeating: ‘calm down, calm down.’
‘If he’s going off at me I’ll f****** say something,’ Lampard appeared to reply sharply to Klopp, while pointing an outstretched arm towards the seated Lijnders.
Lampard previously exploded into a foul-mouthed rant at the Liverpool bench back in July
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