Lampard admits personal problems with Villas-Boas after Bolton win

The Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard was made captain for yesterday’s 3-0 victory over Bolton, but after the game he admitted that he and other players did not see eye-to-eye with Andre Villas-Boas’ tactics or team selection this season.

Ashley Cole was reported to have slammed AVB in midweek when both he and Lampard were left on the bench during Chelsea’s defeat in Napoli, and Lampard agrred that the Portugese manager had problems with “certain players”.

Lampard said: ‘I think, from the outside, you can probably see that it’s not been ideal but the important thing is not to focus on individual relationships too much. It can only be negative and people do like to play on negatives.

‘There have been certain issues. Certain players, we don’t like not to play. But it’s never a case of players throwing their toys out of the pram to the detriment of the club.

‘I’ve been here a long time, I’m 33, I’m realistic. It doesn’t mean I want to play every game but, if I sit on the bench, I want to see Chelsea win.

‘I’m sure we’re all frustrated at the minute, everyone who’s involved, especially people who have got Chelsea in their hearts, who have been here a long time and want to see us performing as we should do.

‘The only way we can push on from now and secure Champions League football next year, potentially move through in the FA Cup and the Champions League this year, is to be positive. It’s in the club’s interest.

‘It’s not about any one individual here and negative things can take the shine off it’.

Hopefully now that veteran players like Lampard, Cole and Drogba have been restored to the team they can now go on a winning run again and at least gain the coveted fourth place in the Premiership.