Chelsea boss Frank Lampard praises his team for stepping up their game against the Championship side Luton after his side won 3-1 in the Emirate FA cup.
The Blues manager also said he was disappointed that his players let Luton pull one back to make it 2-1 but the manager was happy to qualify for the next round of the competition.
“It was important to go through,’ he said. ‘Clearly it’s a competition we’ve had success with in the modern era and expectations were that we’d go through in this tie but in practice that’s not as simple as it sounds. Luton are a good Championship team, a competitive team with a good coach.
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“So we had to get our game right and we did. We got it right in pretty much every sense other than two sloppy moments, one for their goal, one to give them a chance, but other than that everything was nailed on.
“It was a general team moment of complacency at how comfortable we were at 2-0, which is not good enough. We got back from that quickly, we dominated the game, all that made it was slightly nervous that we didn’t have the two-goal lead that makes it very comfortable. Once we got that back again, which we should have got a lot earlier, then the game was comfortable.
“Our third was a team goal and Callum did very well with the assist for Tammy and Billy also joined in to play the one-two with Callum. So it was very good, lovely to see goals like that.
“There was a lot of play like that for us today. A lot of play which was good, through the lines, midfielders joining in, wingers coming off the line. We had a lot of threats in our game and I’m pleased. It was very positive in that sense so the players need to carry on with that kind of attitude and that kind of level of performance.”
Lampard switched to 4-4-2 formation against Luton and he credited the two-academy graduate Mason Mount and Billy Gilmour in the midfield for the impressive work.
“I thought the two of them in midfield were great. Their movement of the ball, their discipline in the role. When you’re used to playing in a three and it’s a two, clearly it’s different and you have to be more disciplined because you’re trying to get players higher up the pitch. It’s something we can look at going forward, but it’s a focus on the front two, making sure they come and give something that we didn’t have before and making sure that you don’t lose too much in midfield by taking a man out.
“That was a nice step today because the lads did that. They moved the ball well, they had the discipline, so it’s something we can certainly look at going forward. I’m forever considering the attributes of players within the team, within the system, and that’s part of the process of this year when you’re looking at new players, young players and can we find the right way. Today it was right for us. I don’t know if it is the way forward, but it was great to see the options that it brought.
“Billy was outstanding. His comfort on the ball, the way he moves it, his discipline, his personality in the team was great. When he plays like he did today he makes it very difficult for me not to give him a run in the team.”
