Jaylen Brown was frustrated by the way the Boston Celtics gave the Atlanta Hawks "life" in Game 5, passing up a "tremendous opportunity" to clinch their first-round playoff series.
The Celtics were 3-1 up heading into Tuesday's game in Boston, but they now must go on the road again to attempt to finish the job in Atlanta.
That is after the Hawks won 119-117 in perhaps the biggest upset of the postseason so far.
Dejounte Murray was missing for the Hawks, serving a one-game suspension, but All-Star team-mate Trae Young finished with 38 points and 13 assists in a dominant performance.
"We had a tremendous opportunity," Brown said. "We controlled the game for the most part, and then Trae Young just put on a hell of a performance in the fourth quarter."
Indeed, Young had 16 points in the fourth quarter, including each of the Hawks' last 14.
Atlanta outscored Boston by 12 points in the fourth, having still trailed by eight entering the final four minutes before Young took over, hitting a 30-foot, game-winning three over Brown with three seconds left.
"We made some bonehead plays, some fouls," Brown added. "We gave them some opportunities to get going. We've just got to finish the game.
"We let the game get away from us a little bit, and they just hit shot after shot down the line. When you give a team life, you give them a chance, and that's what we did."
Sophie Carrigill says playing wheelchair basketball was crucial in helping her adjust to her new identity as a disabled woman.
Carrigill’s life was turned upside down in 2010 when – aged just 16 – she was involved in a horror car crash while on holiday in America and suffered spinal injuries that left her in a wheelchair.
After recovering from equally horrific internal injuries Carrigill, now 29, decided that life had to carry on and came across wheelchair basketball.
View this post on InstagramAnd it paid dividends as she was able to get to elite level, representing Team GB at two Paralympics – with a third on the horizon – and was part of the GB team that won silver at the 2018 World Championships.
But at first it was not about the success, it was about making her transition into a new way of life as easy as possible.
“Previous to the accident I was very sporty and I wanted to get back into it as soon as possible after,” she told the PA news agency.
“I wanted to get back playing in some competitive team sport.
“I never knew where it would go or what level I would end up getting to. But that initial phase was getting back into doing something I love and meeting new people as well.
“I didn’t know anyone else with a disability, so I guess in those early stages of me adjusting to my new identity as a disabled woman that was really key for me to be exposed to those types of people.
“Having that resilience and a bit of grit when you go through something like that and then to get out of the other side and I feel like I am thriving.
“I get to play sport for my job and I have got to travel the world so it is a really incredible opportunity.
“I would not have been playing this level of sport had I not had my accident so I do feel lucky in a way because the stars all aligned for this to happen.
“It is the most traumatic thing I would not wish on anybody but it has ultimately left me with an amazing life and I am fortunate to be doing what I am doing now and I do love it.”
Although the life-changing incident happened 13 years ago and Carrigill, who is based in Yorkshire, has achieved so much since, she admits it is only recently that she has fully accepted her transition into disability.
SUPER CUP CHAMPIONS ? @Briantea84 #wheelchairbasketball pic.twitter.com/3gUAmwfMBu
— Sophie Carrigill (@sophcaz) November 22, 2021
“It was a difficult transition but I only sort of understood it as I have grown older,” she said.
“My identity was all over the place anyway as a 16-year-old and then this massive car accident came and changed it all up on top of everything else that was already changing.
“It was a big adjustment period in accepting my identity. Only recently have I fully understood how difficult that was.
“Having that carefree way of living has helped me the most and just accepting who I am.
“It’s about learning to love yourself, I know that sounds cliche, but that is what I have done over the years.”
We’re excited to share our new partnership with @BritWheelBBall! ??
Our collaboration will remove barriers to the sport, enabling more disabled people to enjoy an active lifestyle, while raising awareness of the Motability Scheme among players & fans.https://t.co/m1Xnc0C8Ah
— Motability Scheme (@MotabilityOps) April 17, 2023
British Wheelchair Basketball has teamed up with UK charity Motability, which runs the Motability Scheme, intended to enable disabled people to lease a new car, scooter or powered wheelchair, using their disability benefit.
The two organisations will aim to remove barriers to sporting participation so that more disabled people can access and enjoy healthier, active lifestyles, with wheelchair basketball identified as one of the most inclusive sports around.
Carrigill added: “It is an incredible sport, it is one of the most inclusive sports out there at the moment.
“Able-bodied people can play alongside people with disabilities. At grassroots level it is great that so many people can play it. At the top end it is super competitive, fast-paced and exciting to watch.
“It’s a really great sport to watch and support.”
Dallas Stars coach Peter DeBoer feels his young goaltender Jake Oettinger is on a trajectory to join the game's best after Tuesday's 4-0 home shutout win against the Minnesota Wild.
The Stars used goals from Tyler Seguin, Jason Robertson and Mason Marchment to take a 3-0 lead early in the second period of the crucial Game 5 clash, before Ty Dellanrea put in an empty-netter to complete the rout and give Dallas a 3-2 series lead.
Oettinger, 24, collected the first shutout of the playoffs after making 27 saves, following a regular season where his five shutouts tied him for the second-most in the league.
Speaking after the game, DeBoer said the poise of his third-year shot-stopper is remarkable to see.
"He sure doesn’t look like a 24-year-old goalie," he said. "He's doing some special things.
"Being at this stage in the career he's at, when you look at the real good goalies over their history, not many of them at his age are taking the load that he's taking and delivering like he's doing."
Wild coach Dean Evason added: "We've talked about [Oettinger] a lot – he was good again."
DeBoer went on to talk about how he feels the Stars' confidence is only growing the longer this series rolls on.
"I think we're getting better as the series goes on," he said. "We got behind early, we've chased it. We wanted to take the opportunity to get out in front for the first time in the series.
"The last win is always the toughest, but we've got an elimination game in Minnesota. We've been a real good road team all year. I think our guys are excited."
Trae Young kept the Atlanta Hawks' season alive with a deep three-pointer in the final seconds of their 119-117 road victory against the Boston Celtics in Game 5 on Tuesday.
The win, which cut the Celtics' lead to 3-2, looked exceedingly unlikely when a Jaylen Brown three-pointer put Boston ahead 109-96 with 6:10 on the clock.
Seven quick John Collins points brought the Hawks back into the contest, before back-to-back pull-up threes from Young tied things at 111-111 with 2:30 remaining.
After trading free throws late, the Hawks got the ball back with seven seconds, trailing by one with their season on the line.
Showing no fear, Young pulled up from way beyond the three-point line and drilled it, leaving not enough time on the clock for the Celtics to get a shot up.
Young had 14 points in the final 3:18 of play, finishing with a game-high 38 points on 14-of-33 shooting, while also adding a game-high 13 assists as fellow starting guard Dejounte Murray was out serving a one-game suspension.
John Collins chipped in 22 points (nine-of-18 shooting) and Bogdan Bogdanovic made the most of his spot start with 18 points (six-of-nine shooting), six rebounds and five assists.
For the Celtics, Brown was clearly their top performer with 35 points (15-of-23 shooting), while it was another disappointing showing from Jayson Tatum, hitting only one of his 10 three-point attempts on his way to 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Nuggets knock out the Timberwolves
Despite the best efforts of young Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, the Denver Nuggets prevailed 112-109 in Game 5 to secure the 4-1 series win.
Edwards again led the Wolves in scoring with 29 points (13-of-27 shooting), but he was outgunned by Nuggets guard Jamal Murray.
Murray finished with a game-high 35 points (12-of-23 shooting), making up for Nikola Jokic's uncharacteristic shooting night (28 points on eight-of-29 shooting), although he still collected a big triple-double with 17 rebounds and 12 assists.
The Nuggets will face the Phoenix Suns in the second round.
Booker leads the way as Clippers season comes to an end
Devin Booker capped a terrific individual series with another 47 points and 10 assists as his Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 136-130 in Game 5.
Booker came into the contest averaging 34.8 points and 5.5 assists while shooting 57.1 per cent from the field and 43.5 per cent from deep in the first four games of the series, and he shot 19-of-27 to close things out for a 4-1 series win.
Kevin Durant added 31 points and Deandre Ayton collected 21 points with 11 rebounds, closing the door on a Clippers team that never stood a chance after injuries to both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Boston Red Sox center-fielder Jarren Duran continued his terrific start to the season in Tuesday's 8-6 road win against the Baltimore Orioles.
Duran, 26, collected three hits from his four at-bats, highlighted by a 409-foot grand slam to center-field in the third inning to bust the game wide open.
Through nine games and 31 at-bats this season, Duran is slashing sizzling figures of .387/.417/.645, and he is not the only Red Sox hitter with a hot bat.
AL Rookie of the Year hopeful Masataka Yoshida finished two-for-four with a walk, marking his fourth multi-hit game in a row. After a cold start to his debut season in the majors, the 29-year-old is 12-for-24 in his past six outings.
The Orioles tried to mount a late comeback as Cedric Mullins hit a ninth-inning grand slam, making it the first time in MLB history that the center-fielder on each team finished with a grand slam.
With the win, the Red Sox improved their record to above .500 at 13-12, while the Orioles are still in a strong position at 15-8 in the ultra-competitive AL East.
Kelenic does it again
Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic hit a home run for the third game in a row to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 on the road.
Kelenic had his eye in, hitting a double in the second inning, a solo home run in the fifth, and a single in the ninth, with his only out in the contest coming on a hard-hit line out to left-field.
He was the only Mariners player with more than one hit, although Teoscar Hernandez's two-run home run ended up being the difference.
Berrios and Jansen take down the White Sox
The Toronto Blue Jays battery of Jose Berrios and Danny Jansen combined to dominate the Chicago White Sox in a 7-0 shutout.
Berrios pitched seven scoreless innings in 103 pitches, allowing four hits and one walk to go with nine strikeouts, and as well as calling a great game behind the plate, Jansen punished the White Sox with his bat.
Jansen went three-for-four at the plate including two home runs, driving in four of his team's runs, while team-mate George Springer also collected three hits.
The first overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft has lived up to the hype, with Orlando Magic wing Paolo Banchero being named NBA Rookie of the Year on Tuesday.
Banchero, 20, looked every bit of a future All-Star, leading all rookies with an average of 20.0 points per game, while his 6.9 rebounds per game had him fifth in the class, and his 3.7 assists per game were the third-most among first-year players.
While he was an inefficient scorer, shooting 42.7 per cent from the field, 29.8 per cent from deep and 73.8 per cent from the free throw line, on any given night he could put together an All-NBA quality performance.
His best performances included a 31-point, six-rebound, two-steal performance in a hard-fought road win against the Boston Celtics in December, hitting six of his seven three-point attempts, and he flirted with his first career triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in an overtime win against the Miami Heat in March.
He ended up collecting 98 out of the 100 possible first-place votes, with Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler receiving the other two to finish in second, and promising Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams rounded out the podium spots.
There was a late push for Kessler from the analytics community as the 21-year-old showed he was already capable of playing winning basketball, finishing fourth in the league for blocks per game (2.3), and his 3.3 blocks per game after the All-Star break led the league.
Kessler also shot 72.0 per cent from the field – the third-highest mark among all players averaging at least 20 minutes per game – although his 51 per cent figure from the free throw line is a concern going forward.
Real Madrid’s already slim hopes of retaining their LaLiga crown suffered another setback as Taty Castellanos struck four times to secure a 4-2 victory for Girona.
The Argentinian striker, on a season-long loan from New York City, was left unmarked and headed home from Miguel Gutierrez’s cross then latched on to a long ball and fired past Andriy Lunin.
Vinicius Junior halved the deficit by converting from Marco Asensio’s cross before half-time but within a minute of the restart Castellanos had his hat-trick when he swept home from Yan Couto’s centre.
Castellanos then added further gloss to the scoreline with another header after once more being left alone in the box while Lucas Vazquez bagged a scant consolation from close range.
Defeat keeps Real, who welcome Manchester City to the Bernabeu for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in a fortnight’s time, second in the Spanish top-flight behind Barcelona.
With just seven matches left, Real sit 11 points behind the league leaders, who play their game in hand on Wednesday against a Rayo Vallecano side who dropped to 10th after Girona’s win.
Osasuna remain eighth after Ruben Garcia gave them a 1-0 win at struggling Cadiz, with the visitors holding on to secure all three points despite the late dismissal of substitute Abdessamad Ezzalzouli.
Real Betis were unable to make up ground on fourth-placed Real Sociedad and remain six points adrift of the Champions League positions after a goalless draw between the teams.
Unai Emery has emphasised the importance of the games ahead as Aston Villa and their fans dream of a return to Europe following the 1-0 home win over Fulham.
The result, sealed by Tyrone Mings’ 21st-minute header for the eighth victory of a 10-match unbeaten run, saw Villa move up to fifth place in the Premier League.
They are a point above Tottenham, who host fourth-placed Manchester United on Thursday. Liverpool and Brighton, in action on Wednesday at West Ham and Nottingham Forest, are four and five points behind Villa respectively with extra games in hand.
Villa boss Emery, whose side play Spurs, Liverpool and Brighton among their remaining five fixtures, was asked after the Fulham contest if European football next season was now an expectation for him.
And he said: “I have to try to be ambitious, to be realistic, and as well, play under pressure – because I like playing under pressure. Because when we play under pressure it is because we have something to do.
“We are now a candidate, we are fifth, but Tottenham is playing (on Thursday), Liverpool is one match less than us, Brighton three matches less than us.
“We are going to play against Liverpool, against Tottenham, against Brighton…could be key matches to really keep being candidates to get a European position.
“I think the dreams, they are here – OK, it is good I think for everybody, and we can share with our supporters. But I was speaking with the team – I like to play key matches. Like today.
“We are close to getting (a top-10 finish), and the next step is to try to be a candidate in a European position.”
Villa last played in Europe in 2010, when they lost in the Europa League qualifying rounds.
This season Emery has overseen some turnaround for the midlands club, who were 17th, outside the relegation zone on goals scored, when they lost 3-0 at Fulham in October, their final game under the Spaniard’s predecessor Steven Gerrard.
On this occasion they were rarely troubled by a Fulham outfit whose only officially registered shot on goal came in the opening minute when Andreas Pereira sent an acrobatic effort wide.
Emery said: “Good performance. The first half we really controlled the game.
“The second half I think the match changed a bit, we were a little bit more tired maybe. We didn’t control the game with the ball like we did first half, but I think they demanded of us different work in the second half, and we did it.”
The 83rd minute saw the ball in the Villa net, Harrison Reed’s delivery going in off Mings, but the flag was up for offside.
Fulham boss Marco Silva, whose side stay ninth, said: “First half was not good enough from ourselves, we were too shy, not aggressive enough. We conceded a completely sloppy goal. The first half was not at our level, the standards.
“Second half, even if we didn’t create enough chances to equalise, at least we were completely different, our pressure was completely different…(but) our front line didn’t create enough.”
Silva confirmed Willian had to withdraw from the starting line-up after feeling a hamstring issue in the warm-up, and that Harry Wilson had been substituted in the 17th minute due to feeling unwell.
Leicester boss Dean Smith has backed Jamie Vardy to finish the season with a flurry of goals after his late equaliser clinched a 1-1 draw at relegation rivals Leeds.
Vardy stepped off the bench as a 70th-minute replacement for Tete to earn the Foxes a crucial point after Luis Sinisterra’s first-half header had put Leeds in front.
It was Vardy’s first Premier League goal since October – just his second of the season – and kept Smith’s side one place and a point behind Leeds in the table, just above the drop zone.
That one felt good ?? important point on the road, safe trip home everyone. @LCFC pic.twitter.com/hwq7fFYGUe
— Jamie Vardy (@vardy7) April 25, 2023
Smith, who has taken four points from his three games in charge since replacing Brendan Rodgers, said: “(Strikers) know they’re judged by goals.
“It’s not been the most fruitful of seasons for him, but that penalty (he won against Wolves) on Saturday and the goal tonight – he’s as important as they come.
“Who knows, he could end up with eight goals by the end of the season.”
Vardy had another effort ruled out for offside as Leicester threatened to snatch all three points after dominating possession in the second period.
Smith said: “I think it’s his 135th Premier League goal, which just shows you the quality of the striker we have. I’m really pleased he got that goal.
“The chance he’s scored today, we’ve seen him take loads of them over time and if we can keep creating chances like that he will take them.”
Smith conceded his side could have ended up with nothing to show for their efforts in a topsy-turvy encounter after clear chances for Leeds pair Marc Roca and Patrick Bamford in the closing minutes.
Roca’s header from a corner was brilliantly saved by Daniel Iversen before Victor Kristiansen hacked the ball off the goal-line, while Bamford missed from a yard out at the back post following another corner.
Leeds head coach Javi Gracia took heart from his players’ battling display after three successive defeats, but could not hide his disappointment after they let slip the lead.
When asked if his side should have won the game, the Spaniard said: “To be honest, I don’t know.
“We have one more point, but after competing in the game as we did it is hard to get only one point.
“Even after conceding the goal we had the clearest chance. We have to keep going and prepare for the next game as best as possible.”
Both sides face relegation rivals again in their next match. Leeds play at Bournemouth on Sunday and Leicester face Everton at home on Monday.
Jofra Archer briefly left the Indian Premier League this month to travel to Belgium, where he reportedly went under the knife for a minor procedure on his troublesome right elbow.
The England paceman was conspicuous by his absence for Mumbai Indians, featuring in his side’s season-opener on April 2 but then missing their next four matches before returning to action on Saturday.
Concerns were heightened by the revelation Archer was experiencing discomfort in a joint that required a couple of operations and contributed to him spending much of the last two years on the sidelines.
"Post bowling video Admin" – Presenting Jofra चा पहिला over in MI colors ??#OneFamily #MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #IPL2023 #TATAIPL @JofraArcher MI TV pic.twitter.com/h2Y1KvEV1O
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 31, 2023
The PA news agency understands Archer flew to Belgium to see his specialist during a near three-week absence for Mumbai, and according to the Daily Telegraph had minor surgery before going back to India.
Archer coming back into the fray at the weekend and bowling his full four-over allocation, reaching speeds of 90mph against Punjab Kings, suggests the issue is not another dramatic step back for him.
He was rested for Tuesday’s fixture against Gujarat Titans but could come back into the reckoning when Mumbai take on Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.
England’s medical team have been working closely with their counterparts at the franchise, with Archer still only a few months into his comeback following stress fractures to his elbow and then his back.
Akha Mumbai jaanta hai kaun aaya hai ??#OneFamily #MIvPBKS #MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #TATAIPL #IPL2023 @JofraArcher pic.twitter.com/Jf60XJ6aGK
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 22, 2023
He put in some encouraging performances on his England return in the white-ball tours of South Africa and Bangladesh, leading to suggestions he could have a starring role in this summer’s Ashes series.
Sussex indicated ahead of the county season that Archer may not play any first-class cricket for them before the Ashes, and the difference in workload between T20 and Test cricket is stark.
Archer, who has not played a first-class match since May 2021, has been keen to play down expectations and said when he was out in Bangladesh: “If I can play one (Ashes) game this summer, I’ll be happy.
“If I play more than one, that’s just a bonus.”
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has admitted to being a “little bit” nervous ahead of his side’s crucial title showdown against Arsenal.
Guardiola has also warned his players the wounded Gunners will be a tougher opponent in Wednesday’s “big battle” because of their recent stutter in form.
The eagerly-anticipated clash at the Etihad Stadium could determine the destiny of the Premier League title.
Arsenal hold a five-point advantage at the top of the table but City, after six successive wins and with two games in hand, appear to have the momentum on their side.
Another victory would see the initiative shift firmly in their favour but Guardiola is not afraid to admit he has butterflies in his stomach.
The Spaniard said: “I manage well but, it is a good sign, being a little bit nervous.
“Being nervous is part of our lives, being anxious is part of our lives, being scared is part of our lives. We don’t have to be perfect.
“When we educate our kids, they (think they) have to be perfect for Instagram and TikToks, and this kind of thing, they have to be a genius.
“But I would say the uncertainty, things that happen before a game, happen. When I feel that feeling I know it’s normal. The problem would be if I didn’t have that feeling.
“At the same time, after the game, whatever happens, good or bad or whatever, you say it’s just part of the game and we look to the next one. I like to live this kind of adrenaline.”
Arsenal have seen a healthy advantage at the top of the table eroded after a run of three successive draws.
Most bookmakers now appear to make champions City, who are chasing the treble, the firm favourites but Guardiola is not so sure.
He said: “Always I had the feeling that it would be so difficult to play them at this stage but, after three games dropping points, it will be much, much more difficult now.
“I would have preferred it if they had come here with better results than the three last results when they didn’t win a game.
“Always it would be difficult but with these results it will be much more difficult.”
Guardiola expects his team to face some tough moments but hopes their experience shines through.
While the situation is a new one for the current crop of Arsenal players, Guardiola’s group are bidding for a fifth league title in six years.
He said: “I don’t like to suffer and the opponents have chances. I try to minimise that as much as possible but, at the same time, you have to accept sometimes it won’t happen because the opponent plays with the ball, you can play badly and can lose the game, and the opponent can do many good things.
“I know how difficult it will be. We will suffer in the bad moments but the players have experience too. The team is ready for a big battle.”
Brentford boss Thomas Frank is convinced the “boring” gulf between football’s haves and have-nots is “only getting worse”.
The 10th-placed Bees maintain one of the smallest wage bills in the Premier League but have routinely punched above their financial weight, entering Wednesday night’s Chelsea encounter in the top half of the table, one place above their cash-splashing opponents.
It is a position that delights Frank, but the Danish head coach remained bluntly pessimistic in his assessment of the bigger picture in which his side remain an anomaly.
He said: “The beauty of football is that everything can happen. The beauty of football is that we could go to Chelsea last year and win. And we have a chance (Wednesday). That’s the beauty.
“But the reality is that there is a big risk, or whatever we call it, that we will or can lose against a team of world-class players and they have used £600million. That’s the reality, that would be very difficult.
“There’s very little chance for any club outside the top six/seven with Newcastle that can get into the top four. That is almost impossible. I hope it will happen one day. I don’t think it has happened since Leicester won in 2016.
“That’s seven years ago and I think it’s only getting worse. I think you’re seeing PSG (Paris St Germain) in France, I think you’re seeing Bayern Munich, hopefully Dortmund will win – they’re still up there, one of the two, but you don’t see anyone but Bayern or Dortmund that are winning the championship in Germany.
“For me personally I think it’s a little bit boring. I think it needs to be a little bit tighter, but I don’t think we can change that. I think that’s a bigger question for others than me to answer.”
After two fantastic days in Brussels to hold our launch event, the UEC looks forward to continuing discussions with clubs, stakeholders and EU institutions in the coming weeks.
The following media articles will help you learn more about our initiative⬇️ pic.twitter.com/1dpHlEcC9H
— Union of European Clubs (UEC) (@clubs_union) April 25, 2023
Brentford representatives were among those who attended Monday’s launch of the Union of European Clubs (UEC), an organisation which seeks to give a voice to over 1,000 professional clubs on the continent.
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish was also part of the delegation from five English clubs at the Brussels event, where he warned that “there is a two-speed Premier League – there’s a top half and the bottom half and that disparity will get bigger and bigger and bigger unless we put some rules in to try and control it”.
The UEC bills itself as an “independent representative body founded to improve support and advocacy for non-elite professional clubs across Europe.”
The group believes there are around 1,400 professional clubs in Europe who do not have a voice and who should be represented on UEFA decision-making boards in the same way that member clubs of the European Club Association (ECA) are.
Frank agreed the organisation could be beneficial to clubs like Brentford in addressing collective concerns as a united front.
He added: “I think it’s good. I think it is very important (because) when you speak to other clubs at the same level I think there’s more to compare, and you have some of the same challenges that you can discuss and learn from those experiences. And that can hopefully add value to the wider group.”
Football has lost sight of what counts as reasonable expectation after the number of Premier League sackings this season rose to 13, according to Frank Lampard.
The dismissal of Tottenham caretaker Cristian Stellini on Monday following the team’s 6-1 drubbing by Newcastle means Spurs and Chelsea have each now removed two coaches during the campaign.
Stellini had been due to take the north London club through to the end of the season having replaced Antonio Conte, to whom he was formerly the assistant, in March. However, he lasted under a month before himself being let go following the debacle on Tyneside.
Building towards Brentford. ? pic.twitter.com/Lh2f97d3GP
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 24, 2023
Lampard is the fourth coach to have taken charge of Chelsea during a chaotic first campaign for owner Todd Boehly, with Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter both sacked and stand-in boss Bruno Saltor overseeing a single game.
Eight other clubs have also sacked their manager during the season, with Southampton another side to have got rid of two. The second, Nathan Jones, lasted eight matches after replacing Ralph Hasenhuttl in November.
Chelsea’s interim boss could himself find he is replaced before the season is out, with Mauricio Pochettino close to agreeing to take over on a permanent basis, though the club are still speaking to other candidates.
It is not known whether any new manager would be expected to begin work right away or wait until summer.
Lampard made the point that whilst he did not consider Chelsea to be culpable, the football industry has suffered from polarisation leading to an absence of reason.
“I think the landscape has changed,” he said. “I think we’ve lost sight of alignment sometimes, maybe expectation sometimes, what is a reasonable expectation.
“Some of it has been fast-tracked, social media surrounding (it) and this open world of media. It’s a bit like politics now – you either hate something or you love it. You’re not allowed to be somewhere in between. It kind of feeds into football.
“You’re either winning games and you’re doing all right and we love you or you’re not and there’s pressure.
“You mention I’ve been sacked twice. When I was a player I was fortunate to have a career where you never have to have that feeling too much. I got released by Chelsea, but I was 35.
“To be a manager you are concerned about the fact that pretty much every manager will get let go at some point. Once it’s happened once or twice it feels a little bit softer than the first time. That’s a reality.
“It’s about getting the balance right of what is and isn’t reasonable expectation.”
Lampard has lost all four matches since being placed in temporary charge, and any hope of finishing the season strongly took a hit after it was confirmed Reece James will not play again this campaign.
James was clearly in discomfort after injuring his hamstring during Chelsea’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid last week but played on through the pain, completing the 90 minutes as the holders romped to a 4-0 aggregate win. A scan has since confirmed the extent of the injury.
His form has been one of few bright spots for the club in a dismal season, albeit one that has been blighted by fitness issues for the England defender.
Lampard was asked whether he saw James, who has been used as part of a back four as well as an advanced wing-back, evolving into a more attacking player in years to come.
“I think he can be a lot of things because of his level,” said Lampard. “Modern full-backs we sometimes see managers moving into midfield, but you can only do that if you’ve got the level of player to receive the ball in midfield, and Reece definitely has that.
“In the shorter term I do see him as a right-back or a right wing-back. It’s how he’s come through. In the modern day you can be effective, if you look at what Liverpool’s full-backs gave them in their really strong years, a huge amount of their attacking play was generated by their full-backs.
“There doesn’t seem any urgency to move Reece. At the moment I see him as one of the best full-backs around in world football.”
Mason Mount is due to have surgery on a long-term pelvic problem meaning he too is unlikely to play again this season.
Asked whether Mount had played his last game for Chelsea, Lampard said: “The bigger picture is something that’s going to become clearer over the next weeks and months.”
Jurgen Klopp has said Liverpool must go about their pre-season differently this summer as they look to improve on what has been an often frustrating campaign.
A year after coming within a couple of games of an unprecedented quadruple, instead settling for two domestic cups, Liverpool will go into the final month of this season already out of every knock-out competition and facing a fight to qualify for Europe via the league.
Klopp has already voiced regrets about last summer, saying a trip to Asia came too early during preparations for the season, with the squad flying to Bangkok only a month after the Champions League final brought to an end a 63-match campaign.
No plans for this summer have yet been confirmed by the club, but it has been reported that a possible trip to the United States has been axed with a single fixture in Singapore preferred.
While insisting last summer’s tour was not enough alone to explain why Liverpool have been so far from their usual standards this term, Klopp was clear there must be change this time around.
“We have to plan (pre-season) early and usually you have to plan without the Champions League final because that doesn’t happen constantly, you just have to deal with it,” he said. “And that is what we did (last summer), we dealt with it.
“But then we started in Hong Kong and pretty much playing immediately because we had to and then the boys came back step by step by step. It was never a perfect pre-season but that is not the reason for our season now because before that we had similar pre-seasons.
“But this year must be different. We have now already three, four, five weeks without (European) football. Usually you play all the time. Now we play a lot – I actually have no clue where they would have put in the Champions League games (if we had got through).
“But it’s different and that’s why we have to step up. We have to step up. And we have to prepare that in the pre-season and that’s why I want them back together as quick as somehow possible, respecting the necessity of holidays.
“I know that and I respect that and I want them to go on holiday for as long as possible but for this year we have to make sure we are together as soon as possible and can go from there.”
A trip to the capital comes next ?️#WHULIV pic.twitter.com/o9Ay3uLyJa
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 24, 2023
Liverpool’s season will end on May 28 with their final Premier League fixture away to relegation-battling Southampton.
Several players will then be heading off to national team training camps before the international window which runs from June 12-20, but Klopp said it would be possible for his players to fit in three weeks of holiday and recuperation before they report back for pre-season.
The first players are due back on July 8, with those who have been in international action reporting on July 11.
“The day after the season ends they go on a camp to prepare for whatever is coming up, it’s crazy but our hands are tied, we cannot say anything about that,” he said.
“So that is why the next season stands above everything to be honest. It means the next season starts with the pre-season and the boys on international duties will have at least three weeks plus the three days more…
“But then we start here, we will have three or four days here for the testing and all these kind of things – even the boys who come slightly late – and then we go on a training camp to Germany and we can work there properly with the whole squad and that is exactly what we need.”
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