Frank Lampard has vowed to repay the faith of Chelsea fans who have unveiled a Stamford Bridge banner in support of the Blues’ under-pressure manager.
Fans group We Are The Shed created a banner reading ‘In Frank we trust. Then. Now. Forever’ that was displayed for the first time in Sunday’s FA Cup clash with Luton.
Tammy Abraham’s hat-trick helped Chelsea ease into the fifth round with a 3-1 win, though Timo Werner missed a late penalty.
Boss Lampard’s Blues tenure came under intense scrutiny after five losses in eight Premier League matches, but the 42-year-old remains desperate to succeed in his west-London managerial stint.
‘I knew about the banner maybe a week or two ago, directly from those who put it together, who are obviously massive supporters of this club; and I was very appreciative,’ said Lampard.
‘I don’t know if emotional was the word, but people who know about how I feel about this club will understand; it’s a two-way thing from the first time I came here, maybe 20 years ago nearly.
‘So I’m very thankful for that support, and it’s great to see it at the Bridge. I feel it very strongly indeed.
‘I know the modern world has moved on, with social media there are eyes all over the world.
‘But one thing I know is that when I’m at the Bridge, the fans have shown me huge support as a player, and now as manager here as well. So, I appreciate it very much.
‘All I want to do is repay that with being successful at the club and working through a tough moment to bring a long-term success to the club.
‘I keep saying recently there will be moments of pain, and moments that are difficult, because of the situation.
‘And when you see the fans that are there to stick with you from now, and going forward, that’s an important thing for me.’
Jordan Clark hit the net for Luton but though the Hatters were unable to keep pace with their Premier League foes, though boss Nathan Jones was still filled with pride.
‘It was a great test for us and I’m very proud of the game we gave Chelsea,’ said Jones.
‘We gave ourselves a mountain to climb in the first 20 minutes, but I will accept responsibility for that because I wanted us to be attacking in our shape and do more than just defend.
‘Once we changed that shape I thought we were excellent.’
