Chelsea boss, Frank Lampard, urged his players not to panic after their 3-1 defeat at home to Manchester City.
Lampard reflected afterward on the journey his squad are on and what the short-term target must be, but first he pinpointed what most concerned him about a chastening day at the Bridge.
“From 15 minutes onwards we allowed City to take control of the game, find spaces between the lines, and play with the quality of player they have,” he said.
“The two goals came in quick succession and you have to continue believing and keep going, and for the rest of the half the players found that difficult because of the levels City were playing at with and without the ball.
“I said to the players at half-time, I sat there and had those days. I sat there and had those days and lifted a trophy at the end of the year. I remember getting beaten at Middlesbrough 2-0 or 3-0, when they had Viduka and Yakubu up front, and we were sat in the dressing room pretty demoralised. We bounced back because we had a spirit in the dressing room, we had a quality of player.
“We’re in a different period now, but any player in football is going to have moments like that. Some of the results we’ve seen this season for other teams, Man City, Liverpool and others, have been harsh for them. Now, because we’re in a bit of a period, it becomes even harsher for us. I don’t want to hide away from that, but the players, myself, have to take it on the chin and react.”