Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard believes the club must focus on their own project, and ignore outside opinion.
The Blues have struggled this season despite investing an eye-watering amount of money on players in the last two transfer windows, sitting in 11th place in the Premier League after 30 games.
Chelsea face Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, who are four places above them, and the Seagulls have continued to thrive under boss Roberto De Zerbi ever since the London club took their previous head coach, Graham Potter, from them in September.
"I think Brighton is a fantastic model. You can track their last five, six, seven years and see good progression... and that's their path," Lampard said at a press conference on Friday.
"Chelsea's path is a different one, a club that's been hugely successful for a long period of time. Maybe a club where there is different transition of ownership, players that have left, bringing in players for the future.
"You can look around and see models everywhere, the work Arsenal have done and everyone was judging them, the owner and manager, now it's a fantastic model.
"You have to understand when you're in a project, there are moments you have to dig in... I don't think it's important for us to focus on opinion."
Lampard confirmed he will be without Kalidou Koulibaly for the next few games after the defender suffered a hamstring injury in Wednesday's 2-0 first-leg defeat to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League quarter-finals.
"He won't be available for either game [Brighton or the second leg v Madrid]. It's a hamstring injury, so it'll be a matter of weeks rather than days," he said.
Reports have suggested the club has triggered a clause in the contract of midfielder Enzo Fernandez to add another year to his already lengthy eight-year deal, in order to help spread their costs out further.
The World Cup winner joined Chelsea for a club record fee of £106.8m (€121m) in January, and Lampard has been impressed.
"I can't confirm [the contract story] because I don't know, actually, I've got enough on my plate without dissecting everyone's contracts at the club," he said. "The only thing I'll say is that, working with Enzo, he's been a standout character and player for me in this last week in terms of attitude and quality.
"Even though he's only been here a short time I think he's a fantastic player for this club going forward, and exactly the kind of profile we're talking about [to take Chelsea forward]."
Fiorentina 2-2 Napoli: Kvaratskhelia keeps visitors' slim European hopes alive
Dethroned Italian champions Napoli's hopes of playing European football next season are hanging by a thread after they played out a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina in Serie A on Friday.
Napoli took the lead in the eighth minute through defender Amir Rrahmani, who nodded home a corner by Matteo Politano.
Cristiano Biraghi levelled for Fiorentina in the 40th minute from a free-kick, before M'Bala Nzola put the hosts in front two minutes later when he fired a shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia responded with another stunning free-kick early in the second half to rescue a point for his team.
Eighth-placed Fiorentina, on 54 points and with a game in hand, are five points behind Lazio in seventh.
They can still earn a Europa League spot either by leapfrogging the Rome side or by winning the Europa Conference League final in which they face Greece's Olympiakos on May 29.
Ninth-placed Napoli, on 52 points, still have a slim chance of making the Europa Conference League playoffs.
Data Debrief
Fiorentina left-back Biraghi has now scored six goals from direct free-kicks since the start of 2021-22, which is behind only James Ward-Prowse (seven) - now of West Ham and formerly of Southampton - as the most across Europe's top five leagues in that period.
Kvaratskhelia also levelled via a direct free-kick, making this the first Serie A match in which both teams scored via that route since Fiorentina against Lazio in April 2018 (Jordan Veretout and Luis Alberto in that case).
Southampton 3-1 West Brom (3-1 agg): Saints set up play-off final with Leeds United
Southampton saw off West Brom 3-1 at St Mary's on Friday to set up a Championship play-off final showdown with Leeds United.
Leeds thumped Norwich City 4-0 at Elland Road 24 hours earlier to book their place at Wembley, where Southampton now await on May 26.
The first leg between the Saints and West Brom finished goalless - just like the other semi-final - but the home side's quality told in the end.
Russell Martin's side dominated the first-half possession, with David Brooks going closest to scoring with a shot that hit the outside of the post.
Southampton made the breakthrough via a powerful Will Smallbone finish four minutes into the second half after Gray Diangana lost possession.
Darnell Furlong had a shot helped over by Alex McCarthy, while David Brooks - who assisted the opener - had a strong penalty appeal rejected.
Southampton remained in control, though, and Adam Armstrong scored a second with a shot through Furlong's legs and past Alex Palmer.
Armstrong's second goal arrived from the penalty spot in the 86th minute after Tom Fellows fouled Ryan Manning in the box, rendering Cedric Kipre's late header a mere consolation.
Marc Skinner signs Manchester United Women contract extension
Marc Skinner has signed a one-year contract extension as Manchester United Women head coach with the option of a further 12 months.
The 41-year-old guided United to their first major silverware last weekend with victory over Tottenham in the Women's FA Cup final.
United are fifth in the Women's Super League with one game to go - a massive drop on last term's runners-up finish - but Skinner will stay on.
"It's an honour to extend my stay at Manchester United," Skinner, who was appointed in 2021, told United's official website after the news was confirmed on Friday.
"I've always felt at home here, with our excellent players, staff, and fans.
"Being able to secure the team's first major trophy at Wembley was a real career highlight for me and another sign of our continued growth, on and off the field."
United conclude their campaign on Saturday against Chelsea, who lead Manchester City on goal difference entering the final day.
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