Mateo Kovacic says Frank Lampard has implemented a far more direct and aggressive playing style during his first few months in charge at Stamford Bridge.
With the new tactics, Chelsea have made an impressive start to the campaign and sit third ahead of Manchester City after 12 Premier League fixtures.
Lampard has also given the Blues a fighting chance of progressing in the Champions League despite being drawn into an awkward group alongside Ajax, Valencia, and Lille.
Their form is unbelievable given the fact that they’re serving a two-window transfer ban, and Lampard has had to lean on a number of young players from the club’s academy.
But Kovacic says it is not just a raft of personnel changes which have given this Chelsea side a new look. Rather, a major shift in the way the team approaches each game is helping the Croatia international express himself better and create more openings for team-mates.
“It’s a big strength and I have felt I am trying it a lot more because we play a little bit different football to last year. Now we are more direct, more aggressive, we just try things we didn’t try last year. I feel better,” Kovacic told the Chelsea website.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have reportedly warned assistant manager Jody Morris for mocking former boss Jose Mourinho over his comments on the performance of the club.
Morris hit the headlines for posting a video on his Instagram story last week making fun of the Portuguese in response to the comments.