After a dominating performance to win the English Premier League during the 2016-17 season, Chelsea FC has struggled to stay near the top of the league. The club looked to be headed in the right direction after a third place finish last season under the tutelage of Maurizio Sarri, but he surprisingly decided to return to his home country of Italy.
The search for a new manager officially ended in July with the hiring of former superstar midfielder Frank Lampard. While Lampard will go down as one of the greatest Premier League players of all-time, he does not look to be the right choice for Chelsea.
Chelsea obviously did not have a lot of time to find a new manager after Sarri unexpectedly left, but a team with their history and resources should not have to rely on someone with so little coaching experience. Lampard has only one year of managerial experience with Derby County. While he received a lot of praise for his work in Derby, the club actually did not play that well. The 74 points won by Derby County during the 2018-19 season was their second-lowest total in the last six years. They also only finished in sixth place in the Football League Championship.
If Lampard was not such a great player, then he likely would not be coaching in the Premier League right now. Lampard may turn into an amazing manager, but it is only possible to judge him on his limited experience. He was unable to get the most out of his players in Derby and the same thing appears to be true in London. Chelsea FC is currently sitting in a disappointing 11th place in the English Premier League standings after playing four matches.
Lampard wants the Chelsea players to stick to a strict defensive formation when they are on the field. Unfortunately, this is taking away a lot of the creativity from the club’s top players. The club is also playing chaotically when things are not going their way. This was on full display in their 4-0 loss to Manchester United and 2-2 draw against Sheffield United. If the players are unable to quickly adjust to the new tactics, then they are going to fall even further in the standings.
Frank Lampard may not be ready to be coaching at the highest level in European football, but Chelsea FC has no other options. The 2019-20 season is likely already doomed, so they might as well let him attempt to shape and mold the team to his liking. The club just can’t be afraid to make another managerial change if things do not turn around this year.
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