3/1 To Win
Manager Frank Lampard believes the international break has been key to recovery but is looking forward to a sustained run of fixtures, starting with this weekend’s game against Sheffield Wednesday.
Saturday game marks the first in a 21-game run until the next international break in March.
Games will come thick and fast over the Christmas and New Year period and Lampard is looking forward to getting into a routine of back-to-back fixtures.
“The three international breaks have had their positives in terms of the rests and they break the season up so it’s a good time for us to get our heads down and look at the big picture,” he told RamsTV.
“I don’t mind game after game and we will work hard to make the best of the big patch we have ahead of us. The positives out of this break is that we’ve had a rest, got some training in and we have to be prepared for Saturday.
“We had a good month last month, Aston Villa slightly tainted it at the end, but when you look at it with some perspective it was a good month and we need to get back to that.
“In my office I stare at the schedule every day, look at it and weigh it up and I think the players should do the same.
“You must focus game to game, that must be your starting point, but then you must look at periods, half-way marks in the season and monthly schedules, then you go ‘what can we get out of this’ and make the most of them.”
Following Saturday’s game against the Owls, Lampard’s side travel to the Bet365 Stadium to face Stoke City on Wednesday before Swansea City make the trip to Pride Park Stadium next Saturday.
“Three in the week worked for us last month,” he admitted. “We played regularly, we were in good form, we just ticked over in between games and we were getting good results.
“At the same time week to week gives you a chance to train a bit more and prepare for games so there are different challenges, but the same for us. Whether we go Saturday to Saturday or Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, the rules are the same and we want to win games.”
Summing up the season so far, Lampard added: “I didn’t set a points target in general because I had just come in and there were so many facets to it, in terms of trying to get the players to get the idea, get the style of play right, and get points which is first and foremost.
“I’m pretty content and we should always want more. We should have more points on the board but that mustn’t take away from the fact we are in a good position and I do believe there is more to come.”
