Ancelotti keeps faith with Frank despite penalty flop
CHELSEA manager Carlo Ancelotti has pledged to retain Frank Lampard as his side’s penalty taker despite the midfielder’s costly miss at Manchester City on Saturday.
The normally-reliable Lampard saw his tame spot-kick saved by Shay Given as City inflicted a shock 2-1 defeat on the Premier League leaders.
With second-placed Manchester United thrashing West Ham, the mistake slashed the Blues’ lead at the top to just two points.
But Ancelotti has vowed not to overreact to the slip, even if it did bring about their first defeat in six league games and, following the Carling Cup exit at Blackburn, their second in four days in all competitions. “So, Lampard can miss a penalty,” said Ancelotti. “These things happen. It is no problem.
He will take the next one.”
Ancelotti’s opposite number Mark Hughes, meanwhile, urged his ambitious side not to get carried away by claiming such a prominent scalp.
Although he finally saw them end a run of seven successive league draws, the Welshman warned his charges that their form against the top flight’s more modest outfits has to improve if they are to break into the top four. “We know what it takes to win against the bigger sides,” said the City manager. “Once we get the knowledge of how to beat the lesser sides we will be OK.”