Frank Lampard defends Marcos Alonso after the Spaniard was criticised for role in West Ham defeat

Frank Lampard has defended Marcos Alonso after the Spaniard failed to track back in the build-up to West Ham’s late winner on Wednesday night.

Gary Neville slammed the full-back for his woeful defending and claimed that he had ‘cost Chelsea the game’ after allowing Andriy Yarmolenko to score in stoppage time.

However, Lampard hit back at Neville, saying that it is ‘easy to comment from afar’ when asked about the Hammers‘ winning goal in his Friday press conference.

Frank Lampard (pictured) has hit back at Gary Neville over his criticism of Marcos Alonso

Alonso (left) failed to track back and prevent Andriy Yarmolenko from scoring a winning goal

‘Full-backs have a responsibility to do both,’ Lampard said. ‘It’s easy to comment from afar. It wouldn’t be quite fair to isolate Marcos in that moment, the players have to have the desire to run backwards as much as they run fast forwards. 

‘It’s frustrating because I have talked about both ends of the pitch. There aren’t many times where it has been more negative than positive. 

‘It’s something we have to put right if we want to get up the table.’

Replays of Alonso’s defensive efforts led to Neville’s dressing down as he commentated on the game. 

Neville said: ‘You see Yarmolenko is back there with Alonso.

Neville, pictured on Tuesday night, launched a scathing attack on Alonso’s defensive efforts

‘Look at him, look at him, look at him. What are you doing Marcos Alonso? What are you doing? There’s his running back speed.

‘It has cost Chelsea the game, along with a poor piece of defending from Rudiger. 

‘Marcos Alonso is level with him (Yarmolenko) at the point where that counter-attack starts and he doesn’t bother.

‘I mentioned it earlier and that’s why he is under pressure at this football club. Frank Lampard will see that.

‘Run back as fast as you can when your team lose the ball. You learn that aged six.’ 

Former West Ham defender James Collins added: ‘Alonso never shows a desire to get back. As a manager, you’d be fuming with the way he ambled back.’ 

It comes with Alonso’s position at the club under increasing scrutiny with the Blues desperate to sign a left back this summer.

Chelsea have been linked with Leicester’s Ben Chiwell as they try and buy a new left back

After signing Timo Werner from RB Leipzig and Hakim Ziyech from Ajax, Lampard is expected to strengthen his defence next.

Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell is believed to be their No 1 target but Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers has warned Chelsea he will not let the England star leave on the cheap. 

It remains to be seen how much is left in Lampard’s transfer budge, given the huge outlay on attacking players already.

But if Chilwell is not a viable option, Ajax’s Nicolas Tagliafico and Alex Telles of Porto have reportedly been lined up as other targets.