Branislav Ivanovic

Branislav Ivanovic | Serbia & Chelsea Superstar

Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley has indicated that manager Frank Lampard has urged the players to express themselves and take more risks on the playing field. The Blues adapted a passing style of football under the guidance of former boss Maurizio Sarri but things have changed under Lampard, who has preferred a more attacking formation.

Speaking to reporters, Barkley said: “In training the manager has been saying, ‘Express yourself on the pitch, take risks, don’t be too safe, shoot, try and create chances’. It is something I can do and it is what he has been putting into me in training and the pre-season games. I have seen what he was capable of as a player when I played with him for England a few years ago. He has brought the work ethic that he had as a player and as a manager into the squad.”

Chelsea winger Pedro has spoken fondly about the qualities of Tammy Abraham and believes the young strike has the credentials to become a top performer for the side. The one-time England international was handed with his maiden Premier League start for the Blues during the season opener against Manchester United and he put up a decent performance despite the heavy 4-0 loss.

Speaking to reporters, Pedro said that he has a good knowledge over the abilities of Abraham, given he has watched his progress through the academy as well as the various loan spells. He added that the marksman has worked hard during the pre-season campaign and he is confident that 21-year-old can lead the line with success this term.

TalkSPORT pundit Micky Gray believes Callum Hudson-Odoi is a much better footballer when compared to new Chelsea signing Christian Pulisic. The teenager made his breakthrough with the Blues during the previous campaign but he made a good impression with five goals and five assists from 24 appearances for the club.

Speaking to Sports Bar, Gray said that the teenager has better qualities than Pulisic on the playing field. Despite this, he added that the 18-year-old may not be ready to take the field for every game, given he is at the beginning of his professional career, he told: “Hudson-Odoi, if he stays at Chelsea. Personally, at the moment, I think he’s a better player than Pulisic. I’ve seen him play six or seven times, and, yes, he’s got some nice ability.I think he’s raw, and I don’t think he’s ready to play every single week in the Premier League.”

Anderlecht player-manager Vincent Kompany has backed Frank Lampard to naturally fit into the head coach role at Chelsea. The Blues have yet to announce a new manager after the departure of Maurizio Sarri but they are close to doing so with Derby County permitting Lampard to hold discussions over the vacancy.

Speaking to Goal.com, Kompany said that he learnt much from the Englishman during the latter’s one-year loan at Manchester City and the Blues should provide from the expertise of the 40-year-old, he told: “Sign him up. He’s the man. I learnt so much from him. He was a bit older when he joined Man City. Frank was an incredible professional, he stepped the level up for everyone else, and I’m trying to have the same impact as an older player. The match is natural with Chelsea. I completely support him.”

Chelsea are reportedly interested in the signing of Bayer Leverkusen star Leon Bailey according to reports from Europe.

The Daily Mail reports that the Blues have made enquiries about the player and have been told that he is valued at around £80 million.

Former Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has said that Christian Pulisic has plenty of talent within him and he will have a great future at the west London side.

The USA international was confirmed as a Blues player during the January transfer window but he was loaned back to Borussia Dortmund for the rest of the season.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has said that Chelsea should consider the recruitment of Eddie Howe for the managerial role at the end of the season. Maurizio Sarri has endured a mixed campaign by his standards during his debut campaign with the Blues, and the club are currently just outside of the top four positions with four games to play.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Merson said that there could be a change in management at the Bridge this summer, should Roman Abramovich continue to remain the owner at the club. He added that Sarri has not quite met his expectations after flourishing during his final year at Napoli, and Howe would be his preferred choice to take over at the helm ahead of next season.

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has reiterated that Danny Drinkwater has no future with the club and is surprised why the midfielder has stayed put for the season. The England international has failed to make a single competitive appearance under Sarri this term, and it appears unlikely to change with Sarri stressing that the midfielder does not fit into his plans.

Speaking in a press conference, Sarri said that Drinkwater was urged to part ways with the club as early as August and he is probably unsure why he has remained for the season, he said: "I spoke with him in August when the market was open. I said to him to look for something different because in my opinion he doesn't play. I said to him the reasons, my reasons, but he decided to stay.

England manager Gareth Southgate has heaped praise on the performance of Callum Hudson-Odoi following his team’s 5-1 win over Montenegro on the road. The Chelsea graduate was handed his maiden start for the Three Lions on the night and he managed to produce a solid display with an assist to boost.
Speaking after the game, Southgate was pleased with the showing of the Blues graduate, who was surprisingly picked into the squad despite his reduced game. He said: “I am really pleased, the game was a simple one, we talked all week about using our width and using our wingers and our wingers were very productive on the night.

“Callum Hudson-Odoi put in a fabulous performance in which showed what he showed us all week. I don’t need to speak, his performance spoke. With young players it is always up to them. You can see the talent, the application with us has been excellent, he has got to continue that, this is a great step forward for him. “But like any player you have got to continue to improve.”

Former Stoke City goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen believes Chelsea will continue backing Maurizio Sarri for the head coach role despite the club’s 6-0 embarrassment at the hands of Manchester City last weekend. The Blues manager has come under fire with the club’s losing streak on the road and of late, this has contributed to question marks regarding his future.

However, speaking to Optus Sport, Sorensen has said that the Blues hierarchy will maintain their faith in the Italian tactician with the opportunity to turn things around, he said: “That’s where you have to trust the people in charge at the club. They choose the direction of where you’re going and they’ve gone with Sarri. And they, you would expect, have to buy full into that and you need time. I know in today’s day and age you don’t have it. You look at [Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer and there will be talks now that he doesn’t deserve the manager’s job because they [Manchester United] lost. So it is really tough.”