BEVERLY HILLS, January 20, (THEWILL) – There have been coaches at the English Premier League side Chelsea who have been sacked for less than what fans have been made to endure under current manager Frank Lampard. In fact, several of them had trophies in their time at Stamford Bridge and still got the boot.
Jose Mourinho won the most domestic titles for the Blues, Carlo Ancelotti led Chelsea to their first league and FA Cup “Double” while Roberto Di Matteo won the first UEFA Champions League for Chelsea in 2012, then, the following year, Rafael Benitez led the club to win the UEFA Europa League. Even Antonio Conte won the Premiership in his first season as Chelsea manager.
Yet, with all these accolades, it is no news to Franck Lampard, a thorough Chelsea insider, that these coaches did not last long at the helm at Stamford Bridge. As soon as the results no longer held and the team began to drop down the ranks on the EPL table, owner Roman Abramovich was already out shopping for a replacement manager irrespective of how much contract termination fees cost him and the club.
This must have been top of mind for Lampard as his Chelsea side were being picked apart by Leicester City on Tuesday night. It was the kind of pressure that increased with every attack from the home side against his charges which constantly threatened to put distance in the goal margin and put his job in jeopardy.
There was little honeymoon for Lampard this season which was expected to be better for Chelsea for good reason. The manager’s second opportunity shepherding the Blues fortunes after a debut season last year was propped up by heavy investments and still his future on the job was never off the headlines. This has worsened in recent weeks.
Since last month, Chelsea’s form has dipped drastically as they have managed just two wins out of their last eight Premier League fixtures.
It is not incommensurate with the huge investment pumped into the side while other clubs were reporting losses from a year of the pandemic. By investing in top talents like Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, Lampard’s side orchestrated a plan to immediately become favourites for the English top flight trophy.
However, these two young German talents have seen their bright and promising start to life in the EPL halted and their struggles to make their mark at Stamford Bridge has hurt Lampard and the team. After more than 15 games with just one goal, Werner had become a shadow of himself at the Bridge while Lampard is yet to find a system which brings the best out of either player.
Harvetz, who cost £70 million, played 67 minutes in the Leicester fixture at the King Power stadium as a number eight. Yet, his contribution to Chelsea’s advance movement did little to influence the contest. As has been typical of his play for the most part of the season so far, passes were underhit, possession was lost too easily and he failed to offer any sort of threats to the eventual two-goal winners.
His brilliant career in Bayer Leverkusen proved Havertz to be an undoubted talent and the potential is there that he can come good at Chelsea in time. Still, there was little surprise to see him brought off with the best part of 25 minutes to play. He is yet to start and complete a Premier League game since October and that is what his form needs to improve, raising further questions about Lampard’s read of the process again.
Although there were decisions that went against Chelsea at Leicester and which the intervention of VAR meant they were all rightly called, luck wasn’t the reason the Blues lost. They faced a team that was simply far better coached. Every player on the pitch knew their job, they knew exactly where they were meant to be and what to do. Chelsea, by contrast, were a mess.
In contrast with Lampard’s debut season last year, this has been hard to comprehend. Things began well at the start of this season and he appeared to have found a way forward with a blending of the talents at his disposal. Their new goalkeeper, Senegalese Edouard Mendy was keeping one clean sheet after another. Only for them to unravel so quickly and leave their fans askance.
The irrefutable status of Frank Lampard in Chelsea’s history is a given; he remains much of a Chelsea legend. His contribution was instrumental in the club’s biggest successes as much as he was a pillar around which the modern-day club was built. However, it remains to be seen if that will insulate him from the tragedy that befell others who had achieved more and still fell below expectations.
In a precarious eighth position they now sit, there is the possibility for further drop should teams below them with matches in hand, like Aston Villa and Southampton beat Manchester City and Arsenal respectively. In another time and another year, Lampard could have been out of job before breakfast the following morning.
Leicester contributed in the ouster of another major player in the Blues’ recent history, Mourinho, who was shown the door after a pitiful showing at the King Power. Lampard can only hope that lightning does not strike twice in the same place.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
