‘At the start of the season, among a lot of fans and a lot of pundits and commentators from outside, nobody had us in their top four and people were saying if you are in the top eight or top 10 we understand. Obviously not fighting relegation but now probably because we got ahead of the curve, expectation was that if we are to hang on to fourth, a particular result is not good.



‘I get that, expectations change, but the reality is now that we are in fourth but it is going to be a really big fight. Now we have to be up for that challenge, young or more experienced players, but the first person who is up for that challenge is me.’



Lampard confirms that as far as he is concerned, no business in the transfer window is better than bad business during it, and he wants to work towards his long-term plan rather than make a knee-jerk signing. He returns to the subject of the fans’ support.



‘When we lost against Liverpool, I have never seen a reaction to a home loss like that because the fans were saying we get it, we are young, there is a transitional feel about it, and we need that trust even more than ever for the next four months.

