Frank Lampard discusses Chelsea half-time teamtalk against Grimsby

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Frank Lampard has told Chelsea’s official website that he had to have strong words at half-time, as Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic didn’t take his message on board in the first half of their contest with Grimsby Town last night.

Chelsea eventually ran out 7-1 winners over their lower league opponents in the contest, as they thoroughly dominated.

However, at half-time, the game still remained in the balance with Chelsea only going in at 2-1 up.

Lampard felt that both his wingers had failed to do enough in the opening 45 minutes.

And the Chelsea boss says that Hudson-Odoi needs to learn quickly if he wants to start pushing for a starting spot on his return from injury.

“In the first half. With Callum and Christian Pulisic as wingers, the message was to hurt the Grimsby line and run in behind and end up in areas inside the box where you are taking people on,” Lampard said.

“It wasn’t happening and at half-time the message had to be reinforced pretty strongly. In the second half we managed to get in better positions. Callum’s talent means he has to work hard to run behind people, to get at people and be inside and outside and work off the ball. That is where he needs to learn, because if he wants to be in the team week in week out that is what he will have to do.”

It is, perhaps, slightly unsurprising that neither Pulisic or Hudson-Odoi hit the ground running for Chelsea last night, as both players are still finding their feet.

Pulisic is still adapting to life in England after his summer move from Borussia Dortmund, while Hudson-Odoi is just coming back from long-term injury.

The pair are likely to have big roles for to play for Chelsea as the season progresses, and Lampard was surely delighted to see Hudson-Odoi complete his side’s triumph by getting on the scoresheet in the last minute.