Roman Abramovich is pushing Lord Sugar for the record number of firings, as Frank Lampard has joined an ever growing list of former Chelsea Managers today, after just 18 months in charge.
Chelsea are a club who ever since the money and expectation came along with Abramovich, have expected Rome to be build yesterday. Gone are the days of allowing a project to actually be completed - no matter how many times a manager says he's building for the future. In football, the future is the next game, and often that is a luxury.
Lampard's last game in charge was an FA Cup win over Luton on Sunday
In his first season, Lampard's hands where well and truly tied in terms of transfers, so he had no choice but to turn to youth. And the signs where good! Abraham, James, Hudson-Odoi and mostly Mason Mount showed real promise. There was a sense that given time, there was a core of a really good team there. Alas, that time has been and gone.
By then being given the license to spend, spend, spend - the whole youth development project was dead in the water in my eyes. Maybe that wasn't fully Frank's call? Maybe when the owner say's here's £200 million to spend, you feel obligated to do it. And when you do spend those sums of money, you've got to succeed. And the signs weren't good with 5 defeats from 8 in the league.
Chelsea have sacked managers who have achieved far more than Lampard. Mourinho, their most successful ever boss, binned twice! Ancelotti. Di Matteo even! But can an ever revolving door to the manger's office pay off? I'm not sure. This Chelsea side is a work in in progress. Whoever is next in the hot seat needs the chance to develop it in their image. Suggestions are it's Tuchel - at least he has sampled the high pressure stakes at PSG so won't be alien to that.
However! Lampard did spent over 200 million quid on players who have bombed! Bar Chilwell and Silva (who was a free anyway) I'd say most new arrivals have flattered to deceive. Yes, that could be down to adjustment to new surroundings, new league etc etc... but surely a coach and a manager has to somehow mitigate that? Surely he must get the best out of a player, otherwise what's his role?
The it takes time to adjust to the Prem argument is null and voided by Bruno Fernandes in my eyes, so there's got to be more to Havertz and in particular Werner's shocking form. He's more Kezman than Drogba at the moment. This does though add fuel to the fire of the opinion that Lampard has been massively let down by these big names.
Lampard lost his last Premier League game in charge of Chelsea, 2-0 at Leicester. A fifth defeat in Eight.
Look, on form there's no doubt that Frank was under increasing pressure. Both results and performances had been so below par this season. But he did do an excellent job last season. It is a tough one. Should he have been given more time to carry on the project, maybe. ..
Yet for me, I don't see how the ethos of last season transferred into the one of this. I think the project plan went awry in the midst of the summer's spending spree. He chucked too much money at it rather than being more measured, and that's what the top managers do. Klopp at Liverpool prime example - needed a defender and a keeper, signed them, won the league. Lampard had too many similar players and the ideology became mismatched.
And, as harsh as it sounds, was he really ready for this job and had he done enough to earn it for the long haul? He didn't set the world alight at Derby, did well but not brilliantly. And it's a massive step up. At least with say Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at United, he proved he was capable during his interim spell. I don't know for sure but it is a point worth considering. Should he have said no to learn his trade at another top flight club, then maybe he'd have been ready to build something long term at the Bridge.
So yes, there's some sympathy but he of all people should understand there's no room for sentiment at Chelsea and it's the right call to make the change. However, Lampard will be back! I'll call his next club right now - Newcastle....
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