Super Frank Thread

[Blue Armour 4,278]

Just now, Jason said:

Is that the case or are we just a badly coached team? What we're seeing now is no different to some of the shitshow we saw last season, no? 18 months into Lampard's time here and we're still seeing the same BS, just with more than 200 million spent!

Its not just a case of being badly coached.

Look at the first 25 mins. We were pressing them intensely for the first 10 mins, dominating possession. 

And then, flick of a switch. City just swarm their way into our half. No one gets close enough to a City player. We just let them walk through to goal.

Whatever the reason, whether its lack of confidence or faith in the manager, the squad just gave up.

Its not just a case of him changing tactics, his squad has lost motivation. And I'm not sure he's the type to rectify that. Unlike his playing days, he can no longer lead by example

[lucio 5,418]

Match going fans are clowns , we would still be employing Jose if they had their way 

[Jase 43,479]

Just now, Blue Armour said:

Its not just a case of being badly coached.

Look at the first 25 mins. We were pressing them intensely for the first 10 mins, dominating possession. 

And then, flick of a switch. City just swarm their way into our half. No one gets close enough to a City player. We just let them walk through to goal.

Whatever the reason, whether its lack of confidence or faith in the manager, the squad just gave up.

Its not just a case of him changing tactics, his squad has lost motivation. And I'm not sure he's the type to rectify that. Unlike his playing days, he can no longer lead by example

Is that new? We also had games last season where we started brightly and then just faded off badly after that. Last season's FA Cup final is a good example of that.

If it happens once or twice, you can put the blame on the players. But if it keeps happening over and over and over again, then you gotta look at the manager and the coaching staff.

[Vesper 28,801]

Kovacic playing a clown

smdh

[Vesper 28,801]

Sterling using Kante (who has had his worst game in months) like a wet rag

[Vesper 28,801]

and Kante is now suspended for cumulative yellow cards

[Blue Armour 4,278]

21 minutes ago, Jason said:

Is that new? We also had games last season where we started brightly and then just faded off badly after that. Last season's FA Cup final is a good example of that.

If it happens once or twice, you can put the blame on the players. But if it keeps happening over and over and over again, then you gotta look at the manager and the coaching staff.

It is the manager's fault. That was my point.

[Special Juan 27,425]

Releive him of his duties, he's out of his depth.

[DANILA 290]

Don't get on what basis Lampard is qualified to manage a premier league side let alone chelsea

[Blue Armour 4,278]

7 hours ago, Magic Lamps said:

I think it is the Leicester game. A loss today and a win vs Fulham are expected no matter our form. But Leicester is the kind of game we have been struggling with all season. Teams that are good but slightly worse than us and which we should beat in an open game. There we have underachieved massively. If we beat Leicester convincingly It might be a sign of improvement. If we still look clueless, the board may decide to part ways. 

That's what I think as well.

I think our top 4 quest is all but snapped at this point. Defeat in the Leicester game will mean we are well short off our mid season objective.

[Jase 43,479]

If the club want to sack Lampard, they should probably do so ASAP. We have 1 week till the FA Cup game and 2 weeks till our next league game. Plenty of time for the manager to work on things...

[MoroccanBlue 5,297]

 

[DANILA 290]

get the entire coaching squad out, they don't belong in the premier league

[Special Juan 27,425]

Just now, iceboy said:

 

Great news, delighted.

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, iceboy said:

 

Have they been saving that piece for the eventual defeat today?  

[killer1257 3,282]

 

Sadly, Lampard deserves it by playing certain players every match.

Gesendet von meinem VOG-L29 mit Tapatalk

[whats happening 1,525]

go to curacao and get hiddink to london asap

[Vesper 28,801]

Frank Lampard’s job at Chelsea under threat, replacement being looked at

https://theathletic.com/2298431/2021/01/03/lampard-chelsea-sacked-next-manager/

Frank Lampard’s job as manager is under serious threat, The Athletic understands.

A humbling fourth defeat in seven matches against a Manchester City side will only intensify the questions about the team’s broader direction under the current management team, and sources have told The Athletic that Chelsea have begun to explore alternative plans with a view to replacing Lampard if the current slump continues, if not sooner.

This is a fluid situation, and as such there is no definitive timeframe for when Lampard might be sacked; it’s possible that he could still see out the season if results improve. But the history of the Roman Abramovich era tells us that once conversations of this nature begin taking place within the corridors of power at Stamford Bridge, managerial change tends to become a question of ‘When?’ rather than ‘If?’.

The 3-1 home defeat by Manchester City leaves Chelsea seventh in the Premier League table and with Aston Villa and Southampton below them with games in hand. Although they are only three points off the top four, the club’s hierarchy are concerned by recent form and the struggles of summer signings Kai Havertz and Timo Werner.

As recently as one month ago Chelsea were on a 17-match unbeaten run across all competitions, within striking distance of Premier League leaders Liverpool and had qualified for the Champions League knockout stage as winners of Group E with a game to spare. Lampard appeared to have found a promising balance with his shift to a fluid 4-3-3 system and was regularly fielding — and swiftly dismissing — questions from journalists about his team’s title chances.

The subsequent dip in form has been startling. Prior to the City game, Chelsea lost away from home against Everton, Wolves and Arsenal in the Premier League and even their sole victory in the last seven games, a 3-0 home win over West Ham, was far less convincing than the scoreline suggested. In the wake of a limp 3-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, Lampard publicly criticised his players and singled out Werner, who was substituted along with Mateo Kovacic at half-time.

Chelsea’s on-pitch struggles have been compounded by worsening issues off it; sources have told The Athletic that tensions between Lampard and a number of individuals in his squad — particularly those who have found themselves outside his group of trusted regular starters — have been growing for some time, and now factor into the board’s assessment of the overall health of the situation at Cobham.

Lampard’s biggest challenge this season was always going to be remoulding his team in a manner that maximised Werner and  Havertz, Chelsea’s marquee signing of a spectacular transfer window and arguably the club’s boldest statement of intent in the transfer market since acquiring Eden Hazard from Lille in the summer of 2012. Neither player has produced more than flashes of their best football so far this season.

After a bright start, Werner’s performances have declined sharply on the left of Lampard’s three-man attack, a significant tactical departure from the withdrawn striker role that helped him flourish under Julian Nagelsmann for RB Leipzig last season. In addition to several gilt-edged misses, he has looked increasingly ill at ease with the attacking and defensive demands of operating as a winger in recent weeks and has now failed to score in his last 12 appearances for Chelsea (if he fails to score against City) — his worst scoring drought for more than four years.

Havertz’s struggles since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen have been even more pronounced. Lampard has consistently defended the 21-year-old in public, pointing out last week that he trained with Chelsea for only five days before the start of the Premier League season and has also been hampered by the lingering after-effects of contracting COVID-19, which left him bed-bound for more than a week in November. But it also remains unclear whether he has a natural role in the team’s current 4-3-3 system, and Lampard has deployed him as a No 10, a No 8 and a false nine to varying degrees of success.

Primarily though, Lampard is being judged on results. Defeat against City means Chelsea have three fewer points after the first 17 matches of this Premier League season (26) than they did at the same stage of the 2019-20 campaign (29) — a return that is regarded as unacceptable given the club spent well in excess of £200 million in transfer fees and made vast salary commitments to bring in Havertz, Werner, Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech, Edouard Mendy and Thiago Silva during the shortened off-season.

Lampard has repeatedly cited that quick turnaround as a reason why immediate expectations of this exciting Chelsea squad should be tempered, and there is no doubt that injuries — most notably to Ziyech — have also had a negative impact on recent performances. But his pleas for understanding are not convincing the key decision-makers at Stamford Bridge as they consider the best way to maximise the talent they have assembled.

Replacing a manager mid-season is never ideal, and it would be logical to view Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to take the Paris Saint-Germain job as a positive for Lampard’s job security; the Argentine has long been admired at Stamford Bridge, and would certainly have been regarded as one of the most attractive candidates — particularly given his free agent status — if the position had become available. Chelsea have always backed their judgement in these situations in the past, however, and will not hesitate to act sooner rather than later this time around if they decide a change is required.

Asked about his aspirations for the future last month, Lampard made it clear that he would love to stay at Chelsea beyond the remainder of his current contract, which expires in June 2022. The lack of noise suggesting that he would be offered an extension was notable then, and it is now clear that he would do well just to see out a second full season at the club where he made himself a legend. From Chelsea’s perspective, at least getting rid of him would cost a lot less than some of their previous managers.