Chelsea are currently fifth in the Premier League after a fine run of form which has seen them win four consecutive games in all competitions, but Frank Lampard risked annoying his team before the season had begun.
Tammy Abraham has revealed that the ex-England midfielder caused some strain by raising the bar of how much work the squad needed to put in, but spoke of how it has helped the Blues’ style of play.
He told The Athletic: “I think a lot of players were a bit upset about how much running we had to do in pre-season but it’s all paying off now.
“It all makes sense why we did it, why we had such a hard pre-season.
“From when the manager came in he told us the style of play, how he wanted us to play, how to press.
“At first, I couldn’t do it. I had no energy.
“But as the season has gone on, I’ve got used to it.
“Now we know what he wants in the press, so for us, it’s about giving defenders no time on the ball — just rushing them.”
Lampard is keen to work his team hard in his first season as a Premier League manager, and has a balanced squad of both young and experienced players.
News emerged earlier this week that the former New York City man held a meeting with his senior stars after consecutive defeats against Valencia and Liverpool, urging them to take pressure away from the likes of Abraham and Mason Mount.
He said: “What you need is a strong group and then you see the leaders come from within it.
“Where we are quite young, the leaders are still going to come and come out of themselves more.
“That comes with a bit of confidence, probably with being around the first team even more.
“It seemed to have become a bit cut and dry [from outside], the young boys and the old boys, but I never saw it that way.
“I always trust in the players and in the squad, and you will rely on them.”
