"We miss, but we say we don't Miss" - Mourinho | Is chelsea missing Lampard?

The Blues boss was believed to want to keep the club legend beyond the expiry of his contract last summer but has instead watched him score vital goals for Manchester City.

Chelsea felt Cesc Fabregas' absence against Hull City on Saturday but Jose Mourinho would not be caught admitting as much.

His response to the suggestion is difficult to transcribe. "We never miss the players that don’t play," he said. "We miss, but we don't miss, do you understand? We miss, but we don’t miss. We miss, but we say we don't miss!"

Mourinho seemingly meant that his team can be missing players in the simple sense that they are not available, but will not bemoan their unavailability, or use it as an excuse. "Our philosophy is not to speak about the ones that are not [playing]. [John Obi] Mikel did well, [Nemanja] Matic did well, Oscar did well. Fabregas did nothing," he joked.

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It was rather glossed over as Lampard searched for a club this summer that he was a year removed from a season in which he scored 15 goals from midfield in 29 league games, only 21 of which were starts. Although the sample size is small, this season he has scored a goal every 73 minutes, the best rate in the Premier League - better even than Sergio Aguero (75 minutes) and Diego Costa (91) and significantly ahead of the next best midfielder, Tottenham’s Nacer Chadli (150).

His release by Chelsea and arrival at the Etihad Stadium is also an example of one area in which City might have the edge over Mourinho's men, even if they remain underdogs in this title race. Whereas the Blues sold several fringe players and only really added depth up front, City have thickened their squad with the likes of Lampard and Bacary Sagna.

More: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2014/12/14/7064632/chelsea-march-on-but-lampard-weighs-heavily-on-mourinhos?ICID=HP_FT_1


Is Chelsea missing Lampard?