Frank Lampard watched Chelsea win 1-0 at Leicester to set up an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United after meting out harsh criticism of his players at half-time and substituting three of them. The manager said his team had not played as poorly for a single 45 minute period all season and they were lucky that Leicester could not capitalise on their chances.
One of the half-time changes, Ross Barkley, scored the winner in the 63rd minute to move Lampard one step closer to a first piece of managerial silverware. In the other semi-final, Arsenal will face Manchester City.
“There were a few words at half‑time,” Lampard said. “The first half was not what we are used to in terms of our performance. We lacked urgency and intensity. I made three subs but it could have been more and different subs. I made the changes I did for impact and personality and we turned it around.”
Lampard said he would not have made three half-time substitutes if the rules had not been changed for the remainder of the season to permit five. Chelsea had pushed for the amendment to address the physical demands on players after more than three months out of action.
“I have thought about how I would use more subs,” he said. “They are there for protection and, generally, you look at the midfield and attacking areas. But the game can change your mind and today was one of those. Five subs came in handy because I could use three at half-time and still have two left.”
Lampard took off three young players – Reece James, Mason Mount and Billy Gilmour – and replaced them with César Azpilicueta, Barkley and Mateo Kovacic. “I spoke to them [the young players] at half-time and at the end,” Lampard said. “They will be big players and we move on.”
Brendan Rodgers was stopped from answering a question at his press conference about the possibility of Leicester having to play at neutral venues after a local spike in coronavirus cases. He did go on to say he was concerned about the infection rates in the area, but that “as a football club, we are very protected”.