Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard has said his club are now second best to their rivals Manchester United and Tottenham after failing to bring in any player in the January window.
CFC went into January looking for a striker but they failed to wrap up deals for Paris Saint-Germain striker, Edinson Cavani and Napoli forward, Dries Mertens.
According to him, the teams around the Blues on the EPL table sealed amazing deals and strengthened which makes them better equipped for the remainder of the season than Chelsea.
He added that the closed window was very crucial and it is sad to see the club miss out on the opportunity to make the team better and more clinical.
His words, “Every time I look at the television another player signs for a club, that’s the transfer window,”
“But if I’m looking at it with my business head on and looking around us in the table and I look at Manchester United obviously signing a big, big player, a world-class player, in my opinion. The teams around us, Sheffield United making fantastic signings, Chris Wilder’s job is incredible because he’s had years to work that group and now they’re adding where he sees fit.
“Tottenham have signed a few and they’re not far behind us. And not only have they signed a few, but a couple of players have left were obviously – not being too crude about it – the situation was they were towards the end of their contracts and maybe weren’t happy being at the club any more.
“Sometimes that’s as important as bringing players in. It’s changing the feeling of the group if players are not wanting to be there so that’s obviously smart business on that part.
“Now what remains to be seen will be seen and from my view – and this is not to talk down ourselves because we’re six points clear in fourth – now we become probably the underdogs and the outsiders to some point because the teams around us have strengthened. It’s a fact.”
“I don’t think there’s any specific point where a deal falls down,”
“It could be early or towards the end but if we haven’t got anything done, that is all that really matters. I’m not surprised because this is football and nothing should surprise me.
“I went through a January window last year [at Derby County] – different circumstances and it was difficult to bring in players. Everyone has their own difficulties in different ways. Let’s not forget it’s a difficult window. I get that.
“And probably for sure the fact we missed the last window made it a bit more crucial for us. Now we have missed two windows. 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.
“For the next four months because as we have seen in recent games, there have been times when little elements aren’t coming off for us. Finishing being the main one.
“And with young players, as much as I want to sit here and drive and drive them, 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.
“If you are not going to improve and it’s late like that, I don’t even want to listen to that. I want to work to a longer-term plan and have trust in that. Now if you look at the history of clubs, and this club, there are lots of players who moved in that last moment and it didn’t work out and maybe they are on loan, or maybe they are sat in the squad three years later and not playing. And that’s not what I want.
“I want everyone here to absolutely be able to put a shift in and be a positive for the squad. So yes, I wouldn’t want that knee-jerk reaction late signing, if it’s not better than what we have got, for sure.”
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