01-25-2021, 04:01 PM
Where it went wrong for Frank Lampard at Chelsea: The five keys to his demise
25 January
Only 18 months ago, football romantics were swooning as Chelsea appointed club legend Frank Lampard as their new boss on a three-year deal.
But fast-forward to today and that fairytale has turned into a nightmare, with the Blues confirming the sacking of their underperforming boss this morning.
Top of the table as recently as last month, we look at how and why things unravelled so quickly for the 42-year-old.
Rotten run of form
Since briefly moving to the Premier League summit following a 3-1 home win over Leeds, results have been nothing short of dire at Stamford Bridge.
Aside from cup wins over Morecambe and Luton respectively, the Blues have lost five of eight outings — and performance levels have dropped markedly, too
Even wins over West Ham and Fulham were far from convincing, while a home draw with Aston Villa was never going to cut it.
It’s reported that last week’s 2-0 loss to Leicester — a side nine points clear of Chelsea despite spending £100 million less in the summer — was the final straw for club owner Roman Abramovich.
Big money, bigger expectations
Little was expected of Lampard during his maiden campaign given the club were operating under a transfer embargo, leading to the new boss blooding youth products with relative success.
The likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Reece James all flourished when given their opportunity and a fourth-placed finish in 2019-20 was generally regarded as impressive.
But when the purse strings were loosened in the summer, expectations rose sharply. Abramovich sanctioned over £220m of new arrivals and, in return, expected to see the Blues enter the title mix immediately.
The slow starts of marquee additions Timo Werner and Kai Havertz have undoubtedly played a large part in Lampard’s demise.
Too easily breached
Despite an embarrassment of riches going forward, Chelsea have always looked fragile at the back during Lampard’s regime.
In fact, since the start of last season, only Newcastle (54) have conceded more away goals in the Premier League than Chelsea — while the Blues have kept only five clean sheets in 29 games on the road during that period.
Yet there have been signs of improvement, with 13 shutouts in all competitions this campaign already equalling last season’s tally despite playing nearly half as many games.
The arrivals of Edouard Mendy, Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell were perhaps beginning to address the issue. Unfortunately, it didn't happen quickly enough to save their boss.
Found out against bigger sides
When Chelsea splashed the cash in the summer, it was done with a view to bridging the gap that had emerged between themselves and both Liverpool and Manchester City.
Yet under Lampard, the Londoners have struggled to perform against their fellow powerhouses — taking only 15 points from games against fellow ‘big six’ sides since August 2019.
That is a joint-low total alongside Arsenal, while they have taken a lowly two points from a possible 15 in such contests this season, as well as losing to top four wannabes Leicester and Everton.
There is no doubt that a squad filled with such an array of international talent should be producing better efforts on the big occasions.
A job taken too soon?
The big talking point throughout Lampard’s entire reign has been experience. Or more accurately, a lack of it.
Not only is he a relative rookie himself in managerial terms, but Lampard has showed unwavering faith in his young players — with nobody playing more games than Mount (80) and nobody scoring more goals than Abraham (29).
While the departing boss showed no preference towards the Blues’ bigger names, the impending arrival of ex-Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel suggests that club owners now desire a coach who has looked after groups of high-profile stars before.
Many will argue that Lampard could have turned things around with more time. But time has always ticked a little faster at Stamford Bridge.
25 January
Only 18 months ago, football romantics were swooning as Chelsea appointed club legend Frank Lampard as their new boss on a three-year deal.
But fast-forward to today and that fairytale has turned into a nightmare, with the Blues confirming the sacking of their underperforming boss this morning.
Top of the table as recently as last month, we look at how and why things unravelled so quickly for the 42-year-old.
Rotten run of form
Since briefly moving to the Premier League summit following a 3-1 home win over Leeds, results have been nothing short of dire at Stamford Bridge.
Aside from cup wins over Morecambe and Luton respectively, the Blues have lost five of eight outings — and performance levels have dropped markedly, too
Even wins over West Ham and Fulham were far from convincing, while a home draw with Aston Villa was never going to cut it.
It’s reported that last week’s 2-0 loss to Leicester — a side nine points clear of Chelsea despite spending £100 million less in the summer — was the final straw for club owner Roman Abramovich.
Big money, bigger expectations
Little was expected of Lampard during his maiden campaign given the club were operating under a transfer embargo, leading to the new boss blooding youth products with relative success.
The likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Reece James all flourished when given their opportunity and a fourth-placed finish in 2019-20 was generally regarded as impressive.
But when the purse strings were loosened in the summer, expectations rose sharply. Abramovich sanctioned over £220m of new arrivals and, in return, expected to see the Blues enter the title mix immediately.
The slow starts of marquee additions Timo Werner and Kai Havertz have undoubtedly played a large part in Lampard’s demise.
Too easily breached
Despite an embarrassment of riches going forward, Chelsea have always looked fragile at the back during Lampard’s regime.
In fact, since the start of last season, only Newcastle (54) have conceded more away goals in the Premier League than Chelsea — while the Blues have kept only five clean sheets in 29 games on the road during that period.
Yet there have been signs of improvement, with 13 shutouts in all competitions this campaign already equalling last season’s tally despite playing nearly half as many games.
The arrivals of Edouard Mendy, Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell were perhaps beginning to address the issue. Unfortunately, it didn't happen quickly enough to save their boss.
Found out against bigger sides
When Chelsea splashed the cash in the summer, it was done with a view to bridging the gap that had emerged between themselves and both Liverpool and Manchester City.
Yet under Lampard, the Londoners have struggled to perform against their fellow powerhouses — taking only 15 points from games against fellow ‘big six’ sides since August 2019.
That is a joint-low total alongside Arsenal, while they have taken a lowly two points from a possible 15 in such contests this season, as well as losing to top four wannabes Leicester and Everton.
There is no doubt that a squad filled with such an array of international talent should be producing better efforts on the big occasions.
A job taken too soon?
The big talking point throughout Lampard’s entire reign has been experience. Or more accurately, a lack of it.
Not only is he a relative rookie himself in managerial terms, but Lampard has showed unwavering faith in his young players — with nobody playing more games than Mount (80) and nobody scoring more goals than Abraham (29).
While the departing boss showed no preference towards the Blues’ bigger names, the impending arrival of ex-Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel suggests that club owners now desire a coach who has looked after groups of high-profile stars before.
Many will argue that Lampard could have turned things around with more time. But time has always ticked a little faster at Stamford Bridge.