Soccer:Frank Lampard insists the Premier League is stronger than ever as Chelsea stand on the brink of winning the title for the first time since 2006. The Blues vice-captain rejects suggestions the league is not as strong as in previous years as they prepare to face Wigan at Stamford Bridge later this afternoon.
A win for Chelsea, who head the table over Manchester United by a single point, will guarantee them the title in Carlo Ancelotti’s first season as coach. The Italian’s team have been defeated six times in league games this campaign but they are in pole position at the most crucial point of the season.
“This is the position we wanted to be in,” said Lampard. “Some people have said the league has gone downhill but I don’t think it has. The league has improved because the teams in the middle of the table and down the bottom have been fighting even harder and are more organised.
“It has proved more difficult for the bigger teams to win regularly week in, week out, and if we can win one more game it will be a big achievement to win it this year due to circumstances.
“To win the league you can never have it smooth and there are not many seasons when it is plain sailing all the way through.
“You are fighting against big teams in Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and others and there are times you have to stay strong. In the moments when we were down this season we have stayed strong.”
Lampard will earn his third champion’s medal should Chelsea achieve their aim. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson fully expects the trophy to move to London and admitted it is pointless expecting Wigan to get anything .
United still have a chance of landing a record fourth title on the trot. Yet Ferguson knows the odds are stacked against his team.
Quite apart from beating Stoke at Old Trafford, the Red Devils are reliant on Wigan avoiding defeat at Chelsea, a feat that has only been achieved twice this season and the Latics have managed just once in four previous league visits to Stamford Bridge.
With so much at stake for Ancelotti’s men, it looks like a forlorn hope, which Ferguson is refusing to consider too deeply.
“It’s pointless going into the game expecting anything from Chelsea in our favour,” said Ferguson. I have confidence that Wigan will do their best and they will try. There’s pressure on both us and Chelsea because we both need to win but I don’t know what’s going on in Chelsea’s minds — all I know is that in this situation we just hope. You never know.
“But I will find out what has happened because there are TV people standing in front of you, people beside you and the crowd reaction sometimes tells you,”
Ferguson will be without Antonio Valencia, who has been ruled out with an ankle injury, and Rio Ferdinand is expected to return. His final starting line-up of the season is likely to be an attacking one, given his stated intention is to bow out with a flourish in front of the Old Trafford faithful.
Then the United boss will probably reflect on an opportunity missed given Chelsea have suffered six defeats in a season when they have also managed to take maximum points off their main rivals, their victory at Old Trafford coming in between two ties with Bayern Munich that shaped the Red Devils’ season.
“A bad week might have cost us everything,” said the United boss. “The biggest disappointment was the European Cup. It’s an absolute travesty because we were the best team. We had a good opportunity to win it but we took the disappointment into the first half against Chelsea.”
Didier Drogba insists he will gladly forego winning the Golden Boot this season if Chelsea can land the League title and then secure the Double by beating Portsmouth in the FA Cup final on May 15th.
Drogba is vying for the scoring award with Wayne Rooney on 26 goals and he has already collected the club’s player of the year award.
“It has been the best season in my career so far,” said Drogba. “When you have a season like this, individual trophies like player of the year are good, but I want more and I want to share with my friends.
“I really want to win the Premier League trophy and the FA Cup again, this is very important. I really don’t mind if I don’t win that (the Golden Boot) and I win the Double. That is really what matters.”
Fabio Capello will be at Stamford Bridge this afternoon as Joe Cole faces one last audition before finding out whether he has a chance of going to the World Cup.
Capello is due to name his 30-man provisional squad on Tuesday, giving potential candidates a final shot at impressing the Italian before he sits down to prepare his list.
As former skipper John Terry, Lampard and Ashley Cole are automatic choices, Joe Cole is clearly the man with most to prove, having missed out on selection for the most recent international, against Egypt in March.