FROM STAMFORD BRIDGE - Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard has empathised with frustrated fans after they were beaten 2-0 by Brentford on Wednesday, insisting he is fine with them booing his admittedly low-on-confidence players.
The Blues have lost all five matches since Lampard took caretaker charge earlier in April and remain stranded in 11th place in the Premier League table.
A clearly out-of-sorts Chelsea fell behind to an own goal from Cesar Azpilicueta, before Bryan Mbeumo delivered the knockout blow late in the day.
Lampard was accused of 'exonerating' his players in his post-match press conference, which was a suggestion he didn't take kindly to.
"Have you not watched Brentford in the last two or three seasons? Have you not seen them go and win at Manchester City earlier in the season?" Lampard retorted.
"Absolutely they [the fans] worry because they're used to 20 years of success and you want it more. I've no problem with the fans booing, I'm not sitting here to go against the fans and say 'don't boo the players'.
"I defend the players because I know that they're young lads who want to do well. Is there an issue with confidence? Yeah. Is there an issue with the balance of the squad? Maybe yeah. But when I say people don't understand [how hard the job is] I'm not patronising everybody and expecting them to have an idea of what's going on behind the scenes, but when you work with it, you under stand it's the Premier League.
"If you think Brentford are going to come and turn you round and have corners and throw-ins and think you're going to walk that game, that's not the case any time. But literally when you're in this moment with a lack of confidence, then it can be difficult to win a game.
"And so when I hear I'm exonerating the players - far from it. I'm just supporting them in the fact that they're in there disappointed because they performed like they wanted to win it.
"Are we disappointed we didn't win it? Yes. Are we dynamic enough in the final third? No. Have we been for a long time before I came here? No. So those things won't turn overnight. We have to keep working.
"I understand the fans booing. They want us to win. When we win, they cheer. And when we lose, I can understand them being disappointed."
