Frank Lampard reveals Chelsea players felt 'terrible' last season but Antonio Conte has changed the mentality

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Vaishali Bhardwaj28 January 2017

Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has revealed how the atmosphere in the dressing room last season was "terrible" but believes Antonio Conte has been key to changing the mentality of the players this term.

Chelsea, where Lampard played for 13 years until 2014, endured a torrid 2015/2016 campaign after they started the season Premier League champions and with Jose Mourinho at the helm but ended it in 10th place and with Guus Hiddink as the temporary manager.

Conte was subsequently appointed as Chelsea boss last April, and the Italian has since led the Blues to the summit of the league standings - eight points clear of Arsenal.

Having gone back to Chelsea last season and experienced the downbeat atmosphere in the dressing room, Lampard admits Conte has helped change the mentality of the squad which is why he thinks the Blues are favourites to win the title.

Speaking in an interview with Jamie Carragher for the Mail, Lampard said: "I can't see anyone catching them. They are the most organised team.

"[Diego] Costa and [Eden] Hazard are the difference. You have got to give the manager [Antonio Conte] a load of credit, too.

"They were in a bad place last year. I went back and got treatment for a week last season when I was injured. The dressing room felt terrible. Guus Hiddink was there, they were 12th in the league.

"People were injured, they weren't playing well and you could smell it wasn't right. They needed to change the whole mentality.

"Conte has done that without changing too much in terms of players. He made a few additions and [N'Golo] Kante has been fantastic, but Conte was exactly what they needed."

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