Chelsea News: 'Take risks, don't be too safe,' Frank Lampard's mantra to Ross Barkley revealed

Reading v Chelsea - Pre-Season Friendly
Reading v Chelsea - Pre-Season Friendly

What's the story?

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has asked Ross Barkley to express himself, take more risks and score more goals for the team. Barkley recently scored in the Blues' 4-3 victory over Reading.

In case you didn't know...

Ross Barkley joined Chelsea in 2018 after having spent almost 13 years with Everton. He emerged through Everton's youth academy and eventually played for the first team.

Since joining, the 25-year-old has scored just 5 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for the Blues.


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The heart of the matter

Chelsea's new manager Frank Lampard has made it clear to Barkley that he will back him 100 percent to take more risks. The 41-year-old manager has promised the 25-year-old that he would be allowed to express himself on the pitch.

According to the Telegraph, Ross Barkley said:

"In training the manager has been saying, ‘Express yourself on the pitch, take risks, don’t be too safe, shoot, try and create chances.' It is something I can do and it is what he has been putting into me in training and the pre-season games."
"It is a dream to hear him tell me to take risks because you don’t want to play in your shell, you want to be playing off the cuff sometimes to take chances and make something happen."
"But of course it is exciting. As a player you can’t be too worried if you take a risk and whether it’s not going to come off. You have to try to make things happen, hopefully more times it will happen on the pitch. I’m looking forward to taking my chances."
"The manager will help all the midfielders. He is a legend of the game, the highest goalscoring midfielder in Premier League history, so we are going to take all he has to give us and the experience he has from the past on board."

Barkley went on to speak about Frank Lampard and how he was one of the idols while growing up.

"I was always watching Match of the Day, you always saw him every week scoring goals."

What's next?

Chelsea had won their last two matches against Barcelona and Reading. The Blues will next face Red Bull Salzburg.

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Edited by Jong Ching Yee