Chelsea: Lampard – Mount dynamic drifting into Sarri – Jorginho territory

The Chelsea fan base turned on Maurizio Sarri for his favouritism towards Jorginho. The Frank Lampard – Mason Mount dynamic is slowly adopting this theme.

The displeasure with Maurizio Sarri at the helm of Chelsea was palpable amongst the fans last season. There were plenty of reasons that instigated the fans to turn on the Italian, but criticism of Sarri almost always included criticism for his protégé, Jorginho, due to the undisputed starter status Sarri bestowed upon him.

From the moment they arrived, Sarri-Jorginho seemed to be a package deal, an inseparable duo. Right from their Napoli days, Sarri moulded Jorginho to typify and enforce his style of play on the field. While it worked with great aplomb in Italy, somewhere along the line Sarri lost the ability to untangle his system from Jorginho. Sarri seemed to believe he couldn’t implement his style of football without his fellow Italian.

Sarri played Jorginho on almost every occasion, regardless of form or opposition or other options within the squad. His sole role was always to pass the ball along the ground with precision. Effectively playing like a deep-lying midfielder, Jorginho was not challenged to create chances or improve defensively. All he had to do was pass and point.

Sarri-ball had quietly become Jorginho-ball. And the fans rebelled.

His lack of creative output and defensive shortcomings seemed to hold Chelsea back, as opponents regularly targeted him to get results. The fans started to turn on the two Italians, fuming at the apparent favouritism that seeped into the club. Even the then-Messiah of Bridge, Eden Hazard, had times when he was dropped for valid reasons. The contrast made the Sarri-Jorginho situation unprecedented for the Blues.

When Sarri left his post as Chelsea head coach, the expectation was that Jorginho’s days as a Blue were numbered. After all, he was perceived as a system player and nothing more.

With Chelsea fast approaching the most crucial stages of the season, a situation similar to that of Sarri-Jorginho has come up, only this time it is in the form of club darlings Frank Lampard and Mason Mount.

Lampard formed a bond with Mount at Derby Count last season, building a system that centered on the youngster’s abilities. With both player and manager returned to Chelsea, Lampard ensured that Mount featured heavily in his plans. While Lampard has mostly adopted the same 4-2-3-1 formation as last season, there have been times he has switched things up, playing three at the back or with two strikers when the situation called for it.

There is only one thing that has remained constant for Lampard’s Chelsea this season: the involvement of Mason Mount.

Lampard has always found a way to include Mount in the lineup, whether he is deployed as a shadow striker, advanced midfielder or ahead of Pedro /Christian Pulisic / Callum Hudson-Odoi as a winger.

That was fine while Mount was in good form as his performances validated Lampard’s decision to start him. His ability to press and find space between the lines was matched with chance creation and shooting abilities in the final third. This directly translated into positive results for Chelsea.

Until November, even if Mount had a down game every once in a while, he would put into good performances on a consistent basis to justify his starter status.

The period from November to January has seen Mount’s form drop progressively, which is only normal for a young player.

But this is where the Sarri-Jorginho comparisons begin. Frank Lampard can’t seem to drop Mount, regardless of form or opposition.

In the first few months, Lampard’s system was built around a high press led by Mount. Over the course of the season, though, this pressing tactic slowly began to fade, quite simply because the players lost the energy to do it. Lampard trusted only a select few players, minimizing his rotation and overworking certain players in the process. Mount has perhaps been worst affected by the fatigue and, without his persistence, Chelsea has not been able to press effectively.

A 4-2-3-1 without the press meant that Chelsea lost the frantic pace that caused their opponents to make mistakes.

Teams adjusted to the Chelsea players and cut down the space they gave them, and that is when Mount’s struggles began. Without any space to exploit, Mount became sloppy and ineffective in the final third. His goal contributions deteriorated.

This should not have come as a surprise to anyone. There are only a few 21-year-olds with the ability to make split decisions on the half-turn – and get them right – in the history of world football. It is a trait that is picked up after years of top level game experience and practice, and one that cannot be demanded or expected of a player at such a young age.

The manager has not helped matters either. Lampard has refused to play Mount in a deeper role that would afford him more time and space to function, nor has he experimented by playing Pulisic, Hudson-Odoi or Willian in Mount’s role.

So while it’s true that Mount has been playing at a subpar level, Lampard needs to share the blame for his form.

Their statuses as club legend and academy graduate have shielded Lampard and Mount from feeling the heat Maurizio Sarri and Jorginho felt last season, but they certainly are on the path the Italians walked.

But as Sarri and Jorginho have proved, it’s never too late to take the shackles of favouritism off, as it only leads to professional growth.

Chelsea can only hope that Frank Lampard and Mason Mount can work out a way to get past it with both remaining at the club. But maybe that is just wishful thinking.