Lampard deserved more time – and not because he’s a Chelsea legend
The only surprising element to Frank Lampard’s sacking is the fact there is an element of surprise at all.
Long-term thinking at Stamford Bridge in the 18-year Roman Abramovich era has never been high on the agenda.
Jose Mourinho has twice had the role, meaning Lampard is the 10th full-time manager employed and jettisoned by the Russian owner – although Avram Grant, another two-timer Guus Hiddink and Rafael Benitez swell those numbers further.
Talk of long-term projects under Andre Villas-Boas and a clear reluctance to sack Mourinho in his second spell, despite the team failing badly amid increasing disharmony and disquiet, showed some willingness to end a trophy first-and-foremost policy that, for all its criticism, actually works.
But Lampard’s cards as manager were like no other before him.
Perhaps his appointment was an attempt to buck the replace-and-rejoice management cycle. Or perhaps it was a clever, cynical attempt to make the most of his many qualities and legendary status at a time when spending vast sums of cash for instant gratification was not an option.
Inheriting an initial transfer ban, minus the world-class Eden Hazard and a team light years away from Liverpool and City meant securing Champions League qualification seemed an unrealistic goal.
Lampard served his purpose
But while the remit and expectations were still clear despite the obvious difficulties, the board’s appointment seemed a smart choice.
Lampard’s affinity with Chelsea brought an unbreakable connection with the true fans, while the youthful nature of his coaching team – including Jody Morris – ensured a strong appeal to the emerging talent at his disposal.
It was smart because the Lampard return ticked all the boxes in PR terms, and a lack of experience would be forgiven and buy a little time and appease supporters if the team struggled while the homegrown talent settled.
Lampard’s appointment was undoubtedly smart as it was most likely made as a stop gap with an eye on the next man should things not be plain sailing. There would be no preferential treatment once the ban was lifted and Lampard had navigated some treacherous waters.
It was smart because Lampard could get the very best from a pool of exciting academy talent that included a quintet of English players who are all now full internationals in Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Tammy Abraham Reece James and Fikayo Tomori.
Add in Billy Gilmour and Christian Pulisic and there is plenty to work with. Who better to do so than Frank? He was readying them for the next stage. But it mattered not if Lampard was at the helm or not.
An FA Cup final appearance, a top-four finish, a feelgood factor, and a raft of exciting signings brought new pressures, however, with the team progressing in the Champions League and top of the Premier League in December everything seemed rosy.
By mid-January after a run of five league losses from eight games, Lampard was gone. There was no room for sentimentality or to cast an eye over mitigating circumstances.
Record signing Kai Havertz failed to sparkle – his Covid illness as good as ignored. Hakim Ziyech’s injury had badly affected the team with his absence a huge factor in Chelsea’s struggles, while Timo Werner’s shocking form saw likely victories turned into defeats.
The feeling from the Lampard-in brigade was their man would get it right and the success would be all the more satisfying for having a club legend – a three-time Premier League champion, four-time FA Cup winner and Champions League and Uefa Cup winner guiding them through.
And while the team tried to make up ground on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and a Liverpool side who took four years to win a trophy under Jurgen Klopp, they would enjoy the journey.
More time was needed – and deserved
A month of below-par performances and some questionable team selection saw patience evaporate and Lampard binned. This is not a learn-on-the-job gig.
The rarely quoted Abramovich broke with tradition with a glowing tribute to his departing manager this time. It’s never happened before and for all the cynicism about how Chelsea is run, it seems heartfelt.
Abramovich doesn’t do sentimentality, so words of praise following the sacking were a surefire sign of the high regard in which Lampard is held.
No-one can deny Chelsea’s ruthless business model works.
But Lampard’s departure has been felt like no other. And it’s not simply because the club’s record goalscorer is a legend.
It’s way too simple to say that those that back him do so in blind faith.
As a player Lampard’s work ethic was unrivalled and he made use of every ounce of his considerable talent to become world class.
The chances of him failing to become a world-class manager seem slim. He won’t get the chance to do so at Chelsea for now, nurturing the talent he helped develop and brought in to the club.
But he may well become another Chelsea two-timer. And he won’t be joining Tottenham as manager in the meantime when Mourinho’s cycle ends in north London.
30/01/2021 @ 4:15 pm
Given the nature of the executive team that Abramovich has assembled, it is no surprise. It is, however, certainly a depressing fact of money-led football that he would not be given any more leeway than any of our other managers. The die was cast with the sacking of Ranieri. I would rather have seen a couple of years in the doldrums with the promise of future success than this constant tilting at windmills.
One would have thought that the greater patience shown by the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool would filter through to other clubs. Many clubs have spent decades creating a culture which they can point to with any new appointee and say, “this is who we are”. What message are we sending to managers, players and fans? This sword of Damocles achieves nothing when so many people can sever the thread.
Personally, I had hopes that Chelsea had matured as a club, accepted that we weren’t going to be the ultimate superpower in Europe but that we would be competitive with the rebuilding cycles. When you look at the influx of players this year each of the buys made sense individually but taken holistically too much changed at once. Mistakes were made at all levels of the organisation, but Lampard as the face of Chelsea was the sacrificial lamb.
I sincerely hope he will get a second crack at the role later down the line when he has acquired more experience. Being a Blue is never dull!