Checking in on Chelsea’s Frank Lampard and Derby ahead of playoff push

Chelsea legend Frank Lampard is approaching the end of his first season as Derby County manager. How are things going as a playoff push approaches?

It may have come as a bit of a shock when Frank Lampard joined Derby County as manager in the summer. Many might have expected him to find a role at Chelsea before diving in, but Lampard was never shy when it came to putting the hard work in. Jody Morris followed him to become his assistant. Chelsea youngsters Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori went on loan. Suddenly, Chelsea had a bit of a dream scenario going on in the Championship.

Tactically, Lampard has shown bits and pieces of all the Chelsea managers he has played under. His squad is quite thin and he has had to lean heavily on Mount and Tomori. Considering the lack of resources, Lampard has done quite well in his first season as a manager.

As the season approaches its end, Derby County is fighting for a playoff spot. How did they get this far and can Lampard get them into the playoffs? Chelsea fans will be keeping a keen eye on proceedings.

Derby County started the season quite well. They were playing a high pressing, attacking based style of football in a 4-3-3 shape. The highlight of 2018 with Lampard was surely beating Manchester United in the League Cup. In the next round of the competition, they went toe to toe with Chelsea in a 3-2 victory for the Blues (this was one of the first matches where cracks began to show for the Blues tactically).

Things continued like that until the infamous Spygate. Marcelo Biesla had sent a member of his staff to watch Lampard’s training. Lampard took offense and Biesla admitted he was wrong. But Biesla did not stop there. Biesla proceeded to reveal all the analytics he already had on Derby before he had even sent anyone to watch. Fans and the media were wowed by something pretty much every team does once they have the resources.

Leeds United defeated Derby in the very next match. Lampard avoided blaming Spygate or the frankly ridiculous press conference Biesla held. It will be a story to remember for the season even though it should not be.

Derby kicked on from there as they continued their playoff run. Everything was going fine until the FA Cup match against Accrington Stanley. Derby won, but Mount went down injured and he is only due to return after this international break. Prior to that, Mount had played a whopping 2789 minutes.

Derby began to spiral without Mount to orchestrate in the middle of the park. With Mount out, Derby has won just two Championship matches while drawing four and losing three. Derby slipped down into eighth heading into the break.

But it is not all doom and gloom because Mount is due back when play resumes. Derby sits just one point off of sixth and two off of fifth. They have a game in hand over Aston Villa in sixth as well. With nine matches remaining in the Championship proper, Lampard has plenty of time to orchestrate a comeback.

That would put Derby in the playoffs where three matches away from promotion. Lampard has shown his side can keep up with most of the probable opponents and he could very well see his side up in the Premier League if he plays his cards right.

Of course, there should be a worry if the Derby County side is Premier League ready. Lampard’s working with a paper thin squad full of loaned players as it is. Will the cash be there if they go up? And if so, can he adjust his possession based attacking football to work in the Premier League?

Chelsea fans should keep an eye on Derby County (if they are not already) as the season winds down. Lampard is growing as a coach slowly but surely and his Derby side has the chance to make something special happen, even if they are likely not ready for all that may entail.