
Sport
Share
Published 17:25 4 Jan 2021 GMT
Explore more on these topics:
So why do Lampard's Chelsea beat the smaller teams with relative ease, but struggle against teams of equal quality? Put simply, they have very good players, but an average coach.
While Lampard was rightly afforded time during the 19/20 season to bed in some youth players, for which he does deserve credit, this season was when last campaign's graft was meant to bear fruit.
That hasn't happened, however, and the only constant throughout this season has been the absence of a clear tactical plan, as Lampard appears to find himself torn between different styles, accidentally stumbling upon on a horrible mismatch that benefits nobody, except maybe Olivier Giroud.
https://twitter.com/FootballJOE/status/1346125678232670208
He may have settled on a 4-3-3 formation, having alternated between 4-2-2-2, 4-3-2-1 and 3-4-3 in the opening six weeks of the season, but it remains unclear what type of football he wants to play with this shape, and how he plans to get the best out of summer signings Timo Werner and Kai Havertz within it.
On the one hand, there are similarities with the Chelsea team in which Lampard rose to stardom as a player, when Jose Mourinho was in charge of the club. N'Golo Kanté fulfils the anchorman role once filled to great effect by his compatriot Claude Makelele, while Mason Mount and Mateo Kovačić provide the dynamism either side of him, as Lampard used to do alongside one of Michael Essien or Tiago Mendes. In front of them, a target man in the form of Olivier Giroud or Tammy Abraham, playing the part of Didier Drogba.
There are also parallels with the current Liverpool side in terms of the profile of players used in each position; a midfield full of energy, creative overlapping full-backs and inverted wide forwards who like to attack the channels by cutting inside onto their stronger foot.
The problem is that Lampard's Chelsea are neither as solid as the Chelsea of old, nor as threatening as Liverpool in attack. The result of which is a bland, almost unidentifiable style. It's like they're using the 'balanced' tactic on FIFA.
As a result, both Werner and Havertz have struggled to hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge, playing in unfamiliar positions without the necessary guidance as to what role they should be fulfilling in the team. This is, by all accounts, one of the Chelsea board's main concerns regarding Lampard's management.
Havertz deserves patience, having suffered a severe bout of Covid-19 from which he is still suffering the long term effects. But Werner's struggles in front of goal, as well as his (lack of) contributions in build up play and off the ball, are an alarming concern.
The obvious solution to help Werner would be to alter the shape of the team in order to get him playing further in-field, next to Giroud or Abraham, rather than as an orthodox winger. This would enable the German to make runs through the inside left channel that served him so well in the Bundesliga. It would also relieve him of his tracking back duties, which he neglected in their 3-1 loss to Arsenal.
Reverting to 3-4-3 could be a solution, as it would also allow Havertz to play a similar role on the opposite side of the attack. But it would mean sacrificing an attacker for a defender, and Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech - two of Chelsea's best performers - dropping to the bench.
But whether he sticks with 4-3-3 or switches to a different system, the more significant issue to address is what the players do, rather than where they stand. The squad is full to the brim with quality, it just needs a manager to put round pegs in round holes and implement a clear and coherent plan.
Lampard is a young manager still developing his coaching skills, so it is understandable that he may not have a fully defined managerial blueprint yet. But if that is the case, and with the resources at his disposal, why is he in the job anyway?
With more than £200m spent in the summer, and with clear ambitions to win the league and achieve European success, it’s no doubt a question the Chelsea board must soon ask themselves.World Cup 2026 prize money: The staggering amount the winners can earn revealed
If it’s coming home, here’s how much England will get Football fans need to gear up and stay up-to-date with the World Cup, as there are just a few days remaining for the much-awaited tournament. The World Cup this year is set to begin on June 11, 2026, and will be hosted across the USA, […]
Sport
11h
The best England and Scotland shirts to buy before World Cup 2026 kicks off
Get ready for the World Cup 2026 The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on 11 June and this is where you can buy the official – and unofficial – shirts for England, Scotland and more. Scotland’s first match will take place at 1am on 14 June, while England kick off their World Cup campaign […]
Sport
11h
Quiz: Can you name every Brazilian player to play for Manchester United
Sport