The Stamford Bridge boss was pleased but measured in his response to a 2-0 win over Wolves that secured a Champions League berth for the Blues
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is targeting an improvement on the fourth-place finish his side achieved in the Premier League.
The Blues secured a 2-0 victory over Wolves on Sunday, keeping them in the top four and securing Champions League football next season as their guests narrowly missed out on a Europa League slot.
Goals from Mason Mount and Olivier Giroud in first-half stoppage time sealed the victory, but Lampard, who is the club’s record scorer, is already looking forward to what his young side might achieve after a debut campaign in charge in which he faced a transfer ban that prevented additions to the squad being made last summer, despite Eden Hazard leaving for Real Madrid.
“Champions League qualification means a great deal to me but at Chelsea we can’t get too excited with top four finishes,” he told Sky Sports. “When we first came in we maybe weren’t considered there but what we’ve done this season is take the opportunity to bring in the younger players and improve the existing players.
“There were a lot of unknowns when I came in, could we move forward without Eden Hazard. We knew we had lost a massive player. We’ve a real spirit within the group now and it’s a real team effort now.
“Myself and the staff want to improve every time, the challenge now is to see what more we can do next season.”
Reflecting on Sunday’s success at Stamford Bridge, he praised his side for overcoming difficult opponents and showing a level of focus that they have not always managed this term.
“They’re a really good side to play against, but the discipline of my team today was fantastic. Sometimes we haven’t had that at home this season,” he said.
“Mason’s strike was pure quality, Giroud was class as always.”
Chelsea will not necessarily finish the season empty handed as they still have the FA Cup final against Arsenal to come next Saturday.
Additionally, they have a Champions League last-16 second leg against Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich to play, but they will travel to Germany facing a 3-0 deficit.
Follow our socials Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google News.
