Lampard: I will be spot on for Blues

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.

On Tuesday, 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.”

Lampard has missed his last two spot-kicks for England — against Hungary in a friendly in May and in the World Cup quarter-final shoot-out against Portugal.

He showed great nerve to score Chelsea’s first penalty of the season at Blackburn but Charlton keeper Scott Carson saved his effort on Saturday.

It was only the second penalty Lampard has missed in more than five years as a Chelsea player.

Mourinho will not care who takes his penalties as long as they go in.

What does matter to the Blues boss, however, is the way Ballack and his other new signings settle into the Chelsea system.

Ballack said: “It gets better every game but, as I’ve said, it takes time.

“I am not the only player new to the team. Shevchenko, Kalou, Boulahrouz, Ashley Cole, they all have to find their place in the team.

“You can’t expect that it all works perfectly after a couple of matches.

“They are all very good individual players but as a team you still have to mould together.

“I think we can play better but it has been a good start.”

Chelsea have not started the season with a bang but they have won three out of four in the Premiership and launched their Champions League season by beating a very useful Werder Bremen team.

Lampard said: “We will get better as we go along. We’ve signed one or two players but the way we’ve played, other than at Middlesbrough, we’ve done pretty well.”

Chelsea have not lost a home game in the league in more than two seasons under Mourinho.

Last season the champions only dropped two points at Stamford Bridge but Liverpool are the visitors on Sunday, looking to make up for their 3-0 defeat in last week’s Mersey derby.