Chelsea have given themselves “breathing space” by appointing Frank Lampard on an interim basis until the end of the season.
That’s according to former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder – and Lampard’s cousin – Jamie Redknapp, as the football world reacted to the club legend’s shock return to Stamford Bridge following Graham Potter’s sacking.
Luis Enrique is the favourite to take the permanent job in the summer, but there’s plenty for Lampard to achieve over the next two months.
“He loves the club, nobody cares about the club or knows it better than he does,” Redknapp told Sky Sports as news filtered through about Lampard’s appointment on Wednesday evening. “This is a complete no-brainer. This makes sense for the owners, just to give themselves a bit of breathing space.”
With Chelsea 11th in the table, trailing fourth placed Manchester United by 14 points having played a game more, a top four finish looks out of reach for Lampard, but he’s got the chance to achieve something special with his beloved Blues in the Champions League.
Redknapp added: “They’ve got a Champions League [quarter-final] to come against Real Madrid and people say it’s almost impossible. Roberto Di Matteo did it, won it as interim manager, stranger things have happened in football.”
Lampard’s task is clear, but how might his appointment impact the Chelsea squad? And can he address the problems that proved too puzzling for Potter to solve? i takes a look.
What Chelsea’s problems have been
Scoring goals has been a huge issue for Chelsea this season under both Potter and Thomas Tuchel. They’ve scored just 29 in the Premier League, 11 goals fewer than second-bottom Leicester.
Neither manager has known whether to stick or twist with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. His game-time has been sporadic yet, despite a £550m spending spree since the summer, he remains the club’s only specialist striker. He almost left in January, ended up staying, but hasn’t started a game since November.
Potter also had difficulty shoehorning all of the club’s new signings into the team, unsure whether to trust the established names or blood his new arrivals. Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and David Datro Fofana have largely been left out, while Joao Felix and Enzo Fernandez have been regular picks. None have dazzled.
There has been no discernible playing style at Chelsea this season. Are they a counter-attacking team, are they a possession team?
Potter’s principles that served him so well at Brighton seemed to go missing once he was presented with this bloated and expensively-assembled squad at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea need an identity.
What Lampard will change
Lampard the manager isn’t exactly known for imposing a strict tactical style on his players; it certainly wasn’t the case in his first Chelsea stint, nor at Everton. His teams play off-the-cuff football, characterised often by possession and attacking flair – but they tend to be vulnerable in defence.
Only Liverpool and Manchester City scored more than Lampard’s Chelsea in his first season, the 2019-20 campaign, but the Blues shipped 54 goals – more than Burnley, Crystal Palace and Sheffield United that same season.
Despite those concerns at the back, it is hoped he could release the handbrake and get Chelsea scoring goals again as the antidote to their current issues.
Todd Boehly and the Chelsea fans want to see some entertainment in the final weeks of this miserable season and that’s exactly what Lampard could bring.
There’s also the feelgood factor around his appointment, which should not be underestimated. He’s popular with supporters and many of the current squad, which could count for something when Chelsea take on Real Madrid over two legs in the Champions League quarter-finals this month. Those games may define this short interim tenure.
Winners and losers under Lampard
Mason Mount is an obvious winner. The England international has been absent of late with a strain to his lower abdomen but he’s been a Lampard lieutenant in the past, shining under him on loan at Derby and then winning Chelsea’s player of the season award in Lampard’s second season (2020-21). His long-term Chelsea future is up in the air amid interest from Liverpool and Bayern Munich, but he could have a productive spell until the end of the season thanks to Lampard.
Kai Havertz was signed by Lampard and shouldered plenty of responsibility under the former boss, so should be another winner – although whether he continues to play as a No 9 remains to be seen.
Ben Chilwell is another Lampard signing who should be relishing playing under the former midfield general once more. He’s been approaching his best form again of late, so Lampard’s return comes at a good time and he should get in ahead of Marc Cucurella.
In his first spell, Lampard also showed a willingness to promote talent from Chelsea’s academy ranks, so the likes of Lewis Hall, Omari Hutchinson and Carney Chukwuemeka could get more opportunities, especially in the league with Champions League qualification out of sight.
The losers from Lampard’s return to Chelsea may include Kepa Arrizabalaga who he spectacularly dropped as first choice goalkeeper, as well as summer signings who have failed to convince such as Kalidou Koulibaly, Cucurella and Denis Zakaria. It will also be fascinating to assesses Lampard’s use of Raheem Sterling (when fit) and how often he picks £88m man Mudryk.
How Chelsea might line up
If Mount and Chilwell are fit, they ought to be guaranteed starters under Lampard, so too is Reece James, but there will be some tricky decisions for the interim boss in the wide positions. As Potter discovered to his cost there simply isn’t space in the side for Mudryk, Felix, Madueke, Sterling, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic all to play.
Potter flitted between four and five at the back, but Lampard’s default setting was a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 and that system is bound to return with the interim boss keen to unshackle his attacking talents.
It’s likely that Lampard will trust the experience of Thiago Silva and Mateo Kovacic, while Fernandez is a must-pick simply because of his £106m price tag.
Possible XI (4-2-3-1): Arrizabalaga; James, Silva, Badiashile, Chilwell; Kovacic, Fernandez; Mount, Felix, Pulisic; Havertz.
Chelsea fixture list under Lampard
As Redknapp noted, the task is simple for Lampard, to replicate Di Matteo’s glorious interim spell of 2012 – when he replaced Andre Villas Boas mid-season – and bring home the Champions League for the third time in Chelsea’s history. To do it, they’ll have to overcome European royalty, in the shape of Real Madrid.
In the league, the fixture list looks tough, so even salvaging Europa League or Conference League qualification looks a tall order with games against Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle to come.
Lampard led Chelsea to 44 wins from 84 matches between 2019 and 2021. He has a maximum of 13 matches to leave his mark this time.
Chelsea’s remaining fixtures
- April 8: Wolves (A), PL
- April 12: Real Madrid (A), UCL
- April 15: Brighton (H), PL
- April 18: Real Madrid (H), UCL
- April 26: Brentford (H), PL
- April 29: Arsenal (A), PL
- May 6: Bournemouth (A), PL
- May 13: Nottm Forest (H), PL
- May 20: Man City (A), PL
- May 28: Newcastle (H), PL
If they overcome Real Madrid, Chelsea will play in the Champions League semi-finals on 9/10 May and 16/17 May. The final is on 10 June if they get there.