Under-pressure boss Frank Lampard will have an opportunity to bring Chelsea back on track against League Two mid-table Morecambe in FA Cup 3th round. The Blues have even stronger advantage as the game will be played on Stamford Bridge.
The Blues lost 1-3 at home to Manchester City in their most recent game, whereas Morecambe won their fourth game with a Boxing Day triumph over Grimsby Town.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said his team’s results made his job at Stamford Bridge more exciting and gave him the opportunity to learn more about himself and his players. Expectations were high at the start of Chelsea’s campaign after spending more than £ 200m on new players over the summer window, but Lampard’s position has been shaken by four defeats in their last six Premier League games, leaving them ninth in the table.
“I am quite strange probably because I don’t like things going well,” he said. “I find this more challenging because I can find out more about myself and every member of the team – it actually makes my job more exciting.”
Five Chelsea FC Academy players – Tino Anjorin, Jude Soonsup-Bell, Lewis Bate, Tino Livramento and Henry Lawrence – could take part in the FA Cup match with Morecambe on Sunday.
Defenders Reece James and Andreas Christensen struggle with hamstring and knee injuries and will miss the game. Emerson, Olivier Giroud and Hudson-Odoi to be selected for this one, as will Billy Gilmour in what would be just his second start of the campaign.
The last team from a lower division to beat the Blues in the FA Cup was Bradford City in the fourth round in 2015 at Stamford Bridge. The Bantams were sixth in League One. After a miserable end to the FA Cup campaign last season, Lampard will no doubt try to come back stronger in search of redemption.
Lampard could go with a lot of changes to the starting eleven and predicting the line-up is pure gamble. He could throw his best to secure confidence boosting win or give chance to a lot of youngsters to harden for the future and preserve his key players fresh for the more important Premier League game against Fulham on January 15th .
