Even if temporarily, it is time for Frank Lampard to shuffle Chelsea’s deck

Chelsea’s rough week got worse with the loss to West Ham. Even if it is only temporary like before, Frank Lampard needs to shuffle the deck.

There are generally two ways to refresh a team once they have gone stagnant. The first is bringing in several new starters, either through the transfer market or mere rotation. The second is a formation change. Neither need be permanent, but both can serve the same purposes; tell the team it is time to wake up.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has already done a bit of both this season. When the Blues were struggling before the first international break, Lampard switched the side to a 3-4-3 upon their return. It was only temporary, but it gave the side the necessary boost to keep things fresh. Later, Willian and Christian Pulisic were more fully integrated into the side to bolster the attack.

The loss to Manchester City, the draw to Valencia, and the loss to West Ham showed that it is time to shuffle the deck once again. It need not be permanent, but the current 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 shape has stagnated and it is hard to deny it has not been coming. The chances are getting fewer and the penetration less sharp as the defense is buckling more and more under pressure. Lampard needs a reshuffle, even if it only lasts a few weeks.

It seems as though he noticed something similar late on against West Ham. Rather than go like for like to pull Oliver Giroud off for Michy Batshuayi, Lampard opted for Callum Hudson-Odoi while shifting Christian Pulisic central. It was not quite a false nine as much as it was a fluid front four. It did not work, but the mere act of trying something different did bolster Chelsea going forward.

The main reason for the switch earlier in the season seemed to be because the defense was struggling with through balls. It also gave Lampard and excuse to put Fikayo Tomori on the field. The switch back to 4-3-3 (or rather, a hybrid of that and the 4-2-3-1) seemed to be a result of the wide triangles getting bogged down in possession of the ball. The 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 fixed that, but now it too is being bogged down on the ball.

This could be a mix of opponents figuring out the setup just as much as the Chelsea players growing board with it. Lampard’s training method is more varied and decision based than previous Chelsea managers, but at some point it is natural for players to start making the same decisions repeatedly. Once that happens, the fluidity drops and a new question needs to be asked.

Lampard could return the side to a 3-4-3 which is more doable as the center backs return to full fitness. It would require the dropping of a midfielder or a winger (depending on how involved Lampard wants Mason Mount to be over the next few weeks). Or, given that the strikers seem to be swamped in possession, Lampard could opt for two up top even if those two are not “true” strikers.

Pulisic’s recent turn towards runs into the box, and even his cameo as a false nine, could hint at Lampard trusting him for such a role. That could take the shape of a 3-5-2 or a 4-diamond-2. Realistically, the main difference would be the way the front three lines up. Rather than two players in behind a striker as is currently the case, there would be just one with two players occupying (and hopefully pushing back) the opposition back line.

These changes do not need to be permanent; they just need to last long enough to refresh the players’ brains. Once refreshed mentally as well as physically, the 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 hybrid can make a return and will likely have a new found sharpness that has been dulling in recent weeks.

The next opponent a team like Chelsea should find tricky is Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham on the 22nd. That gives Chelsea a full three weeks with four games to play around a bit and get their heads right for Mourinho’s hosting of his old club. Then the Blues can go into that game not only mentally refreshed, but giving Mourinho multiple ideas to consider.

It is time to shuffle the deck. Lampard does not need to keep shuffling, but the past three games have shown something needs to give.