🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Frank Lampard

[Vesper 31,105]

Top-heavy Chelsea need improved defence to challenge ‘big six’ rivals

https://theathletic.com/1941626/2020/07/22/chelsea-big-six-rivals-mini-league-arsenal-liverpool-city-tottenham-man-united/

Providing the next three matches go well, the future beyond them looks incredibly bright for Chelsea.

Frank Lampard’s rebuild is already set to be supercharged by the quality additions of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, and now Kai Havertz, the most coveted young player in Europe alongside Jadon Sancho, is keen to be part of the next great team at Stamford Bridge.

Lampard will not be expected to complete the construction of that next outstanding team as soon as 2020-21, although Chelsea’s most impressive transfer window for half a decade will certainly mean they’d go into it with realistic expectations of getting much closer to the Premier League title-winning points tallies posted by Liverpool and Manchester City over the past three years.

Tonight’s visit to Anfield provides another opportunity for Lampard to measure the gulf to true excellence, even if Liverpool’s spectacular intensity has understandably dipped a little since officially clinching their first English league title for 30 years. It is also a chance for this transitional Chelsea squad to refine their approach to the big domestic clashes that will have a decisive influence on their own quest for trophies in the future.

Chelsea’s results against the Premier League’s traditional “big six” this season are a real mixed bag, as you might expect.

Victories away at Tottenham and Arsenal were achieved with performances imbued with the kind of resilience Lampard wants to see more often, while the home win over Manchester City that confirmed Liverpool as champions was the result of arguably the most complete display since he took charge.

But naivety has also come to the fore in the less flattering moments: somehow failing to protect a 2-1 lead at home to 10-man Arsenal in January, missing several chances to clear the ball before Hector Bellerin sidestepped a hobbled Tammy Abraham to curl in the late equaliser that secured a 2-2 draw; twice undermining some bright moments against Manchester United by crumbling in defensive transition; succumbing to their own errors away at City and at home to Liverpool after competing well for long spells.

Chelsea sit fourth in the “big six” mini-league and can move above City into third place with a draw against Liverpool, who are unsurprisingly occupying top spot.

The head-to-head table supports the broader evidence that Arsenal and Tottenham have fallen away from English football’s elite, while United’s remarkable success against their biggest domestic rivals supports the growing optimism around Old Trafford that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is building a team to be feared again.

But there is another aspect to the “big six” mini-league that should be of relevance to Lampard: with the Liverpool game still to play, Chelsea have already conceded more goals than all but Arsenal in matches against the other Premier League giants and kept only one clean sheet — the convincing 2-0 away win over Tottenham in December.

The arrivals of Ziyech, Werner and possibly Havertz should help alleviate the fact that Chelsea have also scored a relatively modest 12 goals in their nine matches against “big six” opponents, but Lampard knows from his own experiences as a player at Stamford Bridge that dominant teams are made at both ends of the pitch.

Chelsea’s overall tally of 15 goals conceded against the rest of the “big six” is distorted slightly by that 4-0 opening-day collapse at Old Trafford (above) — a scoreline that told us nothing reliable about what to expect from either club for the rest of this season. But the broader pattern cannot be denied; in five of the nine matches, Lampard’s defence has been breached at least twice.

You can question how important it actually is to dominate your “big six” rivals if you want to win the Premier League title. There are, after all, 28 matches against the other 14 teams in the division with 84 more points up for grabs, a number big enough to sustain a title challenge on its own in some seasons.

Antonio Conte steered Chelsea to the title in 2016-17 with 93 points, despite losing at home to Liverpool and away against Arsenal before his inspired shift to a 3-4-2-1 system, and to Tottenham and Manchester United after that tactical tweak. Their secret was that they lost only one of the other 28 games, a shock 2-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace in the April, by which time the resolve of the chasing pack had been well and truly broken.

But it wasn’t until Chelsea dispatched City 3-1 in a brilliantly dramatic game at the Etihad in the December that Conte’s players seriously began to believe they were on course to win the club’s second championship in three years. If not quite crucial for the overall points total, these matches really do matter in terms of swinging the momentum of a title race and establishing who the best team in England actually is in the minds of the contenders.

Two years earlier, Jose Mourinho’s approach was, above all, to make sure Chelsea didn’t lose to the rest of the “big six”. He won a relatively underwhelming four of the 10 matches but only lost one, a 5-3 thriller at White Hart Lane in January 2015.

Carlo Ancelotti was more aggressive in 2009-10 and was rewarded with seven wins from 10 games against his domestic rivals, with 19 goals scored. Chelsea should have won the title much more comfortably that season, and would have done were it not for sloppy defeats against Wigan and Aston Villa.

Both of those title-winning sides defended significantly better, against both “big six” opposition and overall, than Lampard’s current team have done. No champions in the Premier League era have ever conceded as many goals as the 49 let in by Chelsea this season, and there are still two matches to play. The team that came closest to achieving the feat — the Luis Suarez-inspired Liverpool of 2013-14 — found the limit of trying to outscore their opposition with an infamous 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace a week after the Gerrard Slip game.

Chelsea have already done the kind of transfer business that should help bring their attack up to a title-winning level, and the signing of Havertz would raise the potential ceiling even further.

But both against their main Premier League rivals and beyond, Lampard will need to find significant defensive improvement if he is to build a team as complete as the best sides he once played in at Stamford Bridge.

[Atomiswave 6,120]

What the hell has happened to Chels, we used to be this rock, a defence and shape made of flipping iron.....I so miss that.

[King Kante 1,643]

2 hours ago, Atomiswave said:

What the hell has happened to Chels, we used to be this rock, a defence and shape made of flipping iron.....I so miss that.

A lot of it is to do with Kepa. We have only conceded the 3rd least amount of shots on target. Kepa has statistically let in 13 more goals than an average GK would've done on similar shots. 

After that, it is the CB's as ours are: 

AC: Mentally and physically weak. 

Zouma: Naive with his positioning and clumsy. 

Rudiger: Very low football IQ and rash. 

Tomori: Raw and over plays in dangerous positions. 

[Atomiswave 6,120]

33 minutes ago, King Kante said:

A lot of it is to do with Kepa. We have only conceded the 3rd least amount of shots on target. Kepa has statistically let in 13 more goals than an average GK would've done on similar shots. 

After that, it is the CB's as ours are: 

AC: Mentally and physically weak. 

Zouma: Naive with his positioning and clumsy. 

Rudiger: Very low football IQ and rash. 

Tomori: Raw and over plays in dangerous positions. 

Yes all valid reasons but the shape and how we move as a unit has alot to do with it also.

[Henrique 9,133]

On 22/07/2020 at 7:11 PM, Tomo said:

Regarding the defense, we were one of "the best" last season because Sarri played risk averse possession football after Arsenal cut us open about 6 times in 15 minutes, and people spent the season moaning about how boring it was, with this squad there's a trade off, Sarri decided to master the possession bit first whereas Lamps wants to get the attack firing first, the end result is roughly the same one-way or another, we challenge for the top four as that's where this current squad is at and it's the ceiling.

The problem I have with your opinion about Lampard is that you always come up with "yes, he is making mistakes", but at the end of the day you just dismiss most of his mistakes. For example, Lampard's biggest flaw so far is his inability to build solid defensive system, and people pointed that our defense is the same as last season (bar Luiz), but we have conceded war more goals and we look way more vulnerable, then you come up with this narrative: we looked more solid at the defense last season because Sarri played a "risk averse" football, while Lampard has this "attacking firing first" philosophy.

Lampard lack of solid defensive system has nothing to do with "attacking firing first" thing. The team concedes a LOT of goals from set-pieces, and that has nothing to with what you pointed. Lampard is not as courageous and audacious as you made him look. Yesterday the team was playing with 5 at the back (very different from Conte's strategy, because Conte played with 3 at back but with wingbacks instead of fullbacks) and yet conceded 5.

Sarri made a better job at building a defensive system, as simple as that.

[Henrique 9,133]

As the season is ending, I don't think we should judge a manager's job based in the last 3 games. The team might finish inside top 3, with a FA Cup trophy, or in 5th and losing FA Cup final to Arsenal. Very different results, but I don't think he should evaluated based in those outcomes.

I don't think Lampard's job this season was good enough. The team might well finish in 3rd, but this was a very unusual season. United, Spurs and Arsenal all went through huge period of crisis, and with one game to go, we are closer to 12th placed Southampton than to 2nd placed City. Its tempting to picture Lampard's work this season as amazing and unreal if we finish inside top 4 because "nobody expected us to finish inside top 4", but the expectations are adjusted as the season progress. 

Lampard had some positives, specially in the way he trusted young blood. His attacking football mentality is also a bonus, and he never gave that up, even if in some games he used 5 at the back. He was also humble to review some of his beliefs, like reintroducing Giroud and finally accepting Pulisic is a key player in the current team, and at some point he also realized that he was over evaluating the quality of Mount, James, Abraham and Tomori.

To other side, there are many flaws in his work. Defensive system is the biggest one. Some of his positives were also undermined by repeating same mistakes over again. If at some point he realized the english kids weren't as good as he thought, his decisions to start Gilmour over Jorginho when both were available never made sense. He gave Pulisic some playing time, benched Mount, only to bench Pulisic again in favor of Mount. At the end of the season we don't exactly what is Lampard ideal starting XI, and we don't really whats his football style. I don't think we end the season as a solid foundation for next season. I got a positive vibe at the end of last season, as I believed Sarri had created some solid basis there. I don't have the same felling right now.

To other side the board knew what they were getting when they hired Lampard one year ago. I think all of those flaws in his job were pretty much expected, so it doesn't make any sense to fire him even if the team don't finish inside top 4 and don't win the FA Cup. Lets see what the board expects from him next season, specially that team is making some bold moves on the market again.

[pHaRaOn 2,131]

14 hours ago, Henrique said:

I don't think we end the season as a solid foundation for next season. I got a positive vibe at the end of last season, as I believed Sarri had created some solid basis there. I don't have the same felling right now.

What exactly gave you a positive vibe at the end of last season?

We won only 3 of the last 9 games of the season (1 of 5 in the Premier League), we failed to score in 10 out of 35 games in 2019, we lost the player on whom the entire attacking system of the team depended, we lost Kante, Loftus-Cheek and Hudson-Odoi with big injuries.

[Jype 6,398]

10 minutes ago, pHaRaOn said:

What exactly gave you a positive vibe at the end of last season?

We won only 3 of the last 9 games of the season (1 of 5 in the Premier League), we failed to score in 10 out of 35 games in 2019, we lost the player on whom the entire attacking system of the team depended, we lost Kante, Loftus-Cheek and Hudson-Odoi with big injuries.

And it was a well known fact Hazard was gone as soon as the season ended. Not to mention the transfer ban.

For Henrique to have been positive then but negative now is something I for the life of me can't understand.  

[Jase 43,479]

8 minutes ago, Jype said:

For Henrique to have been positive then but negative now is something I for the life of me can't understand.

It's Henrique, lads. 

[Fulham Broadway 17,746]

11 minutes ago, Jype said:

And it was a well known fact Hazard was gone as soon as the season ended. Not to mention the transfer ban.

For Henrique to have been positive then but negative now is something I for the life of me can't understand.  

Hes a wind up merchant -always has been. 9 times out of 10 only appears when we've lost

[Henrique 9,133]

4 hours ago, pHaRaOn said:

What exactly gave you a positive vibe at the end of last season?

We won only 3 of the last 9 games of the season (1 of 5 in the Premier League), we failed to score in 10 out of 35 games in 2019, we lost the player on whom the entire attacking system of the team depended, we lost Kante, Loftus-Cheek and Hudson-Odoi with big injuries.

I think most people agree with me on this subject...

[Fernando 6,724]

4 minutes ago, Henrique said:

I think most people agree with me on this subject...

There was nothing positive about Sarri. 

 

[Henrique 9,133]

2 minutes ago, Fernando said:

There was nothing positive about Sarri. 

 

There were positive things about Sarri.

[Tomo 21,751]

19 hours ago, Henrique said:

The problem I have with your opinion about Lampard is that you always come up with "yes, he is making mistakes", but at the end of the day you just dismiss most of his mistakes. For example, Lampard's biggest flaw so far is his inability to build solid defensive system, and people pointed that our defense is the same as last season (bar Luiz), but we have conceded war more goals and we look way more vulnerable, then you come up with this narrative: we looked more solid at the defense last season because Sarri played a "risk averse" football, while Lampard has this "attacking firing first" philosophy.

Lampard lack of solid defensive system has nothing to do with "attacking firing first" thing. The team concedes a LOT of goals from set-pieces, and that has nothing to with what you pointed. Lampard is not as courageous and audacious as you made him look. Yesterday the team was playing with 5 at the back (very different from Conte's strategy, because Conte played with 3 at back but with wingbacks instead of fullbacks) and yet conceded 5.

Sarri made a better job at building a defensive system, as simple as that.

It's context. If you look back to my posts last year I gave Sarri the benefit of the doubt for our attacking woes then same way I am Lampard with the defense, we simply don't have the squad to make both look good simultaneously.

Of course next year excuses are out, if we're conceding 50 plus league goals with a keeper and (hopefully) LB of his choice and (by the looks of things) Kante playing as DM then it will be on him and only him.

[pHaRaOn 2,131]

1 hour ago, Henrique said:

I think most people agree with me on this subject...

I'm sure a lot of people will agree with you. Still, what exactly gave you a positive vibe at the end of last season?

[Vesper 31,105]

'Frank has to learn': Klopp hits out at Lampard as 'arrogance' row intensifies

Liverpool manager tells Lampard to leave issues at final whistle
Lampard regrets language used but not defending his team

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jul/24/frank-has-to-learn-klopp-hits-out-at-lampard-as-arrogance-row-intensifies

Jürgen Klopp has told Frank Lampard he should learn to leave his arguments on the pitch as the row over the “arrogance” of the Liverpool bench during their win against Chelsea intensified.

Lampard maintains that Liverpool’s coaching staff “crossed the line” with their behaviour at Anfield on Wednesday, although the Chelsea manager says he regrets using bad language during a touchline row with Klopp.

Footage of the incident showed an incensed Lampard losing his cool during a dispute with Klopp and Liverpool’s bench, repeatedly telling them to “fuck off”. The Chelsea manager was irate after Mateo Kovacic was penalised for the free-kick that led to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s goal and Pepijn Lijnders, Liverpool’s assistant manager, leapt from the dugout demanding punishment.

Lampard’s ire was directed mainly at Lijnders, with the pair also exchanging words in a post-match clinch. But it was the later claims of arrogance from the Chelsea manager that have angered Klopp, who insists managerial disputes should finish on the final whistle.

“You cannot hit me with something like that – or my bench with something like that – because we are not arrogant,” the Liverpool manager said on Friday.

“Frank was in a really competitive mood and I respect that a lot. You can pretty much, from my point of view, say what you want in a situation like that. For me, it’s after the game. It’s completely over. I have said a lot in the past because it is pure emotion. He came here to win the game or get a point to make sure of Champions League qualification. I respect that a lot.

“But what he has to learn is to finish it with the final whistle and he didn’t do that. Speaking after it like this is not OK. Frank has to learn. He has a lot of time to learn, he is a young coach. But he has to learn. During a game words are used – no problem at all. But at the final whistle, all the things he said … we are not arrogant. We are pretty much the opposite of arrogant in a moment like this.

“If you have arguments, you say something and you want to hurt the other person. That is how it is. No problem. The final whistle? Close the book, finish the book. That is what I don’t like.”

Lampard, however, is adamant that Liverpool’s behaviour was disrespectful and he will always passionately defend his side. “I’ve seen the video and I was obviously there, in terms of the language I used I do regret that,” he said.

“These things get replayed a lot on social media and I’m aware of that, I’ve got two young daughters on social media. So I regret that. In terms of regretting having passion to defend my team, no. I could have maybe handled it slightly differently to keep that language in. I wasn’t upset with the celebrating of the Liverpool team. Far from it. Liverpool should celebrate as much as they want.

“With the season they’ve had they can celebrate like they did after the game, like they can celebrate every goal they score. Like they celebrated when they won the league a month ago and like they’re talking about celebrating one more time with their fans.

“I would have had a beer with Jürgen Klopp and toasted what they’ve done this year. But there were things on the line I didn’t like from their bench. Not Jürgen Klopp, people behind the bench which I felt crossed the line and that’s what got me agitated. But it’s done. Emotions run high among most managers, players and fans in this game. I regret the language and move on.”

Chelsea, who will qualify for the Champions League qualification if they draw their final league game with Wolves on Sunday, could have N’Golo Kanté available. Kanté has missed the past five games with a hamstring injury.

 

 

[DANILA 290]

arrogant and cocky f*cks, half their squad was unknown 3 years ago

[Puliiszola 519]

5 hours ago, Henrique said:

I think most people agree with me on this subject...

Lol

[bigbluewillie 1,979]

On 7/22/2020 at 10:31 PM, Vybz Kartel said:

Personally I think he needs to be sacked for Pochettino, his a average manager at most imo. He will never really take us anywhere because he can't coach defending. 

Oh what sack Lamps and bring in a serial failure.

You do realise that we are still in transition and will be for at least another season, so get used to it.

Will you and the other knockers not get it into your heads Lamps is doing his best with what was dumped in his lap, wait and see what happens when he brings in his players in.

Also if anyone had told me 4th place and a FA cup final a start of the season then i'd ripped their hand off.

[Vesper 31,105]

9 hours ago, DANILA said:

arrogant and cocky f*cks, half their squad was unknown 3 years ago

yep, more than half (and this does show what a good manager Klopp is btw)

in summer 2017

this is what they were coming off of

Alisson Roma backup keeper (who I was screaming to buy based off what I had seen then and been told by my Brasilian mates)

VVD coming off injury plagued year at SOTON

Joe Gomez youth team barely had gotten a sniff at the dippers

Joël Matip injury plagued first season at the dippers, some were already calling or his head

Dejan Lovren  often was the target for their fans, injury plagued poor season overall

Roberston, coming off an oki, but hardly great season at Hull

TAA youth team mostly, 162 league minutes (in his defence, you could already see he was a baller, but hardly well known)

Fabinho coming off the Mbappe team was known, but was hardly considered the star there

Jordan Henderson coming off back to back very injury plagued (26 and 27 games only, all comps) years, many at Anfield were calling for his head

Milner  played all season out of position as a right footed LB, was getting major stick

Georginio Wijnaldum coming off a decent first year at the dippers

Naby Keïta coming off a great debut season at Leipzig, but your average fan here had probably never heard of him

Adam Lallana coming off his best (and hardly great -8 goals) season at the dippers, and even then, it has injury-plagued, and he never really recovered

OX 2016-17 was his best season ever at Arse, but missed almost the entire next year with a bad injury, never really hit that level again (and was still a year removed from the dippers) he was a well known player at least

Mane  coming off his first season (injury plagued-I think we see a pattern here) at the dippers, but you already could see he was a star (13 goals, all EPL, in 29 games, all comps (27 in the EPL), the next season he went WC

Salah  coming off the Roma season that earned him the Victimpool transfer, still, very much NOT  super famous YET player (that occured his crazy 2017-18  44 goal season, which he will never duplicate, I think)

Xherdan Shaqiri  a 4 goal all comps blahhhh at Stoke

Divock Origi coming off a decent, but not great year at the dippers, was loaned out in summer 2017 to Wolfsburg

Roberto Firmino coming off a decent, but hardly WC season at the dippers, although you could see he was a baller

 

so yes 15 (basically the entire core of the team except for Mane, Winajdum, and Firmino) of them were not even there yet or had hardly played or were loaned out or were meh or injured (Henderson especially if you count injuries AT the dippers) or played out of position (Milner)