Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas claims Frank Lampard’s talent has never been in question after the midfielder claimed a hat-trick against Bolton.
The Blues closed the gap on the two Manchester sides at the top of the Premier League table, with Daniel Sturridge returning to the Reebok Stadium to claim a double in the 5-1 rout on Sunday.
The Stamford Bridge boss spoke to reporters after the victory about the 33-year-old’s treble, saying: “It is good for him because he had a solid performance as did the rest of the team. He arrived with perfect timing in to the box, something he has been doing for years.”
“His talent was never in question. I said before when I first arrived, it’s not about age, but competence and this squad is full of competence. The talent of the team was has never been in question.”
Villas-Boas said he was not surprised by the dominance of his side, believing they were due for a big game.
“I think we’ve been looking for this victory for quite a long time. It happened today because we were more prolific in front of goal,” he said.
“I think the football we played was very good and we take great satisfaction in that. Playing out from the back whilst under pressure from Bolton and finding the correct space upfront.”
“In the next fixture, two title rivals will face each other when United play Liverpool, then the week after the two Manchester teams will play each other so it is important to keep winning.”
Things continue to go from bad to worse for Owen Coyle’s Bolton, with the club enduring their worst start to a season in more than a century, and the manager was left to rue a sloppy defensive performance from his side, particularly in the first half.
“Ninety seconds in and we concede a goal from a set play,” Coyle said.
“We’ve walked through it, we’ve ran through it. I’m not here to impose blame on any of my players but that should have been a basic header away.”
“To allow Danny (Sturridge) to have that amount of time to pick his spot, it obviously gives you a mountain to climb in the game because if you’ve lost a couple of games in a row then confidence is already low, so that wasn’t an ideal start.”
Two other Chelsea goals will also undoubtedly be put down to errors from young goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, who endured a torrid time in the absence of regular starer Jussi Jaaskelainen.
“Young Adam Bogdan is going to have a terrific career,” Coyle said. “There is no doubt about that, but the third and fourth goals should have been basic saves.”
“If you make a mistake as a goalkeeper then there is no hiding place and I feel for the kid, but he’s got to show the mental strength to come through that.”
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