[ad_1]
The sight of Chelsea summer signing Timo Werner faintly falling to the ground after kicking the flag instead of the ball as he pulled a corner summed up one of the most miserable days Frank Lampard has endured as a Chelsea manager.
It did not matter for the result, two minutes from the end of this magnificent Manchester City procession with Pep Guardiola’s team winning 3-0.
Still, this almost comical moment epitomized the sheer unhappiness of Chelsea’s performance, the inability to perform even the most basic tasks, which have drawn attention at every level at Stamford Bridge, including the club’s notoriously demanding hierarchy.
First of all, City’s fluid brilliance must be fully recognized, the final score of 3-1 is by no means an accurate reflection of their superiority despite having to line up a team seriously weakened by Covid-19 and injury. .
The way they took their reduced situation lightly was a serious declaration of intent in the context of the Premier League. They hadn’t reached top speed this season, but this was overdrive and something else.
As for Chelsea and Lampard, where do you start after a terrifyingly ugly and abysmal 90 minutes that brought their recent decline in form into focus even more?
When Chelsea lost 1-0 at Everton on December 12, it was the end of a 17-game unbeaten streak that sparked the title talks, though the ones Lampard was very quick to dismiss.
What Lampard cannot rule out is what has happened since then.
Four defeats and a draw in their last six league games leave Chelsea in eighth place, it is true that just three points behind Tottenham in fourth place after having played one more game, but with results, performances and morale in a career steep descending.
Instead, Chelsea were embarrassed when Manchester City separated them with first-half goals from Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and Kevin de Bruyne. The latter’s goal, in particular, hinted at a Chelsea that was completely broken.
It was a lethal combination of fan and disorganization that saw Chelsea caught in the field from their own free kick, a header from De Bruyne that left Raheem Sterling on a straight run with N’Golo Kante. The Belgian crossed upfield to apply the final elegant touches as his teammate’s shot came off the post.
And to add to that embarrassment, City were left without world-class goalkeeper Ederson, Gabriel Jesus, Kyle Walker, Eric Garcia and Ferran Torres as a result of Covid-19, although they still had players like Sergio Agüero and Riyad Mahrez to bring in. in the final moments.
Ederson’s replacement, Premier League rookie Zack Steffen, had a moment of anxiety when he picked up Rodri’s backward pass in the opening minutes, but other than that, the 25-year-old American had the kind of easy introduction he would have. dreamed of.
Chelsea’s performance in the second half brought no hint of defiance or threat, no confidence or cohesion. They could and should have lost for more, but City were on the easy street.
Yes, it is difficult at 3-0 but the resigned and defeatist air was a terrible sign for Lampard. Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late goal should not be dignified by the description of “comfort”, beyond making the score look even kinder to Chelsea and Lampard than it actually was.
Of course, Lampard will talk about transition, about new players who need time to settle into a new environment. You’ll want all expectations to be seen through that prism, but this is Chelsea, and Lampard knows the scoreboard better than anyone.
As a Chelsea player, a succession of coaches bit the dust and took full responsibility when the crisis hit, often amidst conversations about the influence of a powerful Stamford Bridge dressing room. He has tried to manage expectations this season and deserved all the credit for putting Chelsea in the top four last season after taking over with the club operating under a transfer embargo.
Expectations rise, however, when his reward for finishing fourth is a more than £ 200 million investment to sign talent, including Werner, who has gone 12 games without scoring, while Kai Havertz, the 21-year-old German international signed for more. £ 71m from Bayer Leverkusen, he has had trouble adjusting and was on the bench against City.
The other big arrivals were Leicester City’s £ 50m Ben Chilwell, Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech and Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The veteran Brazilian captain of Paris St-Germain, Thiago Silva, was also lured to west London by a lucrative financial package.
It is the form of the two Germany internationals that will increase the pressure on Lampard. The faster you can get a tune from two undoubtedly good talents, the sooner you can pull Chelsea out of a losing streak.
There is also the Roman Abramovich factor to consider.
Abramovich, understandably, will expect a considerable return for his considerable money. The owner won’t settle for anything less due to Lampard’s legendary status as a Chelsea player. History tells us that he is not the sentimental type when it comes to managers.
Chelsea, however, invested in a different type of coach when they appointed emerging Lampard after a season at Derby County in succession to the experience of players like Maurizio Sarri, Antonio Conte and José Mourinho. It remains to be seen if that shift in emphasis translates into more time and patience.
Despite their miserable form, there is still not a huge gap between Chelsea and the top four, and they have already secured a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League this season, although if they do it this way, Atlético de Madrid will make it painfully short.
Lampard’s defense will be that he needs time to form a new squad. What he really needs are results and his big summer transfers to start justifying Abramovich’s strong financial backing. And you need both quickly.
Lampard knows the Chelsea rules. He lived with them long enough.
