Title talk off limits for Chelsea's players, says Lampard

Andy Hunter
Monday 03 October 2005 19:00 EDT
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The "Invincibles" tag is an inevitable description of a side with a 100 per cent defence of their Premiership crown and supported by Roman Abramovich's wealth, but it is one Chelsea have heard before. "We've not thought about winning the League yet," insists Frank Lampard. "It's a great start and there were a lot of swear words in the huddle afterwards because of what the win meant to us, but things can change and the minute we drop our guard or get sloppy it could change within a matter of weeks."

The England midfielder added: "A lot of talk comes when you're the champions... The art of it is to be strong enough to use that to motivate you and we did that against Liverpool."

The Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed that an alliance between Chelsea and the agent John Shittu is behind the "disgusting" pressure on John Obi Mikel to renege on his agreement to move to Old Trafford in January.

United last week submitted a 40-page document to Fifa, the world governing body, that detailed their pre-contract agreement with the Nigerian teenager and allegations that the 18-year-old was forced to transfer his allegiance to Chelsea when Shittu became his agent. Shittu is believed to work alongside the London-based Jerome Anderson and Ferguson, who met officials from Mikel's club Lyn Oslo last month as part of a joint submission, claims they have coerced the talented midfielder into a lucrative move to Stamford Bridge against his wishes.

"He [Mikel] has an agent who apparently works for Chelsea," Ferguson said. "I believe the lad has been forced to say it. The manner I believe in which he and his family have been treated is, honestly, disgusting."

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