Lampard happy to pay the penalty
Frank Lampard insists he has not taken his last Chelsea penalty despite handing the job to Michael Ballack.
Lampard has missed three out of four from the spot during a time when his overall form for club and country has been under scrutiny.
Ballack made no mistake when he took over the duties against Werder Bremen but the England midfielder claims the change is not permanent.
Lampard, 28, said: “I spoke to Michael before the game and we decided he would take one if we got one on the night
“I wouldn’t have minded taking it. It’s not a problem to take them. It just wasn’t an ideal time. I missed one a couple of days ago and it was an important time for us to score, to kill the game off. The most important thing is that the team scores.
“I’ve no doubt that in the future I will take penalties for Chelsea. We’ll mix it up.”
Lampard picked up the ball after Didier Drogba had been fouled in the box in the 68th minute, with Chelsea 1-0 up, and passed it to Ballack.
Those looking for symbolism could have interpreted the moment as a concession of midfield power.
For two very successful seasons, Lampard has been the heartbeat of the Chelsea team, driving them forward and providing crucial goals at crucial moments.
Yesterday, when a goal was desperately needed to secure a winning start to the European campaign, he handed the responsibility to Ballack.
The German responded by belting an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net and Chelsea won 2-0.
Lampard said: “There’s no better way to take a penalty than to smash it into the top corner. That’s the way to take them. It was a good strike.”
Jose Mourinho’s pre-match advice to Lampard was to move out of the spotlight and let Ballack step forward if the team won a penalty against Werder Bremen.
Ballack, 29, said: “We talked about it in the morning and he said it is okay for me to take it if I wanted it. I would have done the same thing. He missed three out of his last four. That’s not easy for him. You shouldn’t force it.”
