It’s clear to everyone on the outside that this Chelsea team are desperately short of confidence. If that wasn’t true at the start of the season, it certainly is by now, as bad result after bad result have piled up and drained away and belief the group have that they can actually win games, let alone trophies.
Since being appointed a couple of weeks ago, Frank Lampard has been asked repeatedly what he can do about such a fault in his team, and he’s tried to explain that it’s a tough ask, psychologically.
“The work to build confidence is what we need, because there is talent in that squad. Everything is there for the players in terms of how we can push and drive them, individual and collective work, we’re here to do that,” the Chelsea coach said in quotes on the club’s official website.
“Every conversation is different. Every player needs confidence but there are different ways to get there. When you can’t train, and I’m in here for this period, it’s important you do everything you can that is not physical to try and help.
“There have been more conversations and meetings than training pitch stuff,’ he added, noting the busy schedule since his arrival. We’re talking individually to the players. When we get a chance to work, the team needs some physical work.
“That’s important because at this level you have to be on the limit, and I’m not sure we’re on the limit now. That can only be a capacity thing with the players for whatever reason. It doesn’t matter how we got here, it needs to be addressed now.”
We totally see the lack of confidence, and there’s no doubt that it has been a vital ingredient in the disaster of this season. It has sapped the ability of these expensively assembled stars, made them nervy in front of goal and panicked in front of their own goal.
But at this stage the rot has gone far beyond their minds. Whether as cause or effect, the group we saw on Saturday lacked more than just self belief. They looked totally demotivated, tactically disorganised and ultimately just lacking any hunger to try and compete and win against a Brighton team who showed the opposite.
If they play like that tomorrow night, Real Madrid won’t have to get out of second gear to brush them aside, just as they did last week.
