Frank Lampard is responding to a similar problem with the opposite approach as Maurizio Sarri. Chelsea have two proven goal-scorers consigned to the bench with little explanation or justification.
A year ago, Maurizio Sarri’s team was struggling for goals despite having a lot of possession and control. Despite the lack of goals, he was reluctant to use less experienced players like Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi. There were talks of them leaving Chelsea for first-team action somewhere else, with Hudson-Odoi looking like he was on his way to German champions Bayern Munich. As a result, Sarri was somewhat forced to play him. Loftus-Cheek was also gradually getting more and more chances ahead of Mateo Kovacic and Ross Barkley. By March, the duo were almost part of the regular starting XI. The fans’ pressure and voice were crucial in those changes.
Chelsea are right back there today. This time under Frank Lampard, they are struggling for goals despite overwhelming possession and control. But under Lampard, the marginalized players are those at the other end of their careers. Frank Lampard has no issues giving players like Mason Mount, Michy Batshuayi, Willian and others more and more minutes despite their inability to influence the match. It’s the experienced duo who are ignored.
Olivier Giroud was the top scorer during Chelsea’s successful Europa League campaign last year. He has started just two games this season in the Premier League. He rarely even makes the match squad. Meanwhile, his replacement Michy Batshuayi missed four clear-cut chances in the FA Cup and also missed a sitter which would have won the game against Arsenal.
Yet no fans make a case for Giroud. He has proved time after time how good he is holding up the ball. It is not a wonder or coincidence that Hudson-Odoi scored goals last year when he was playing alongside Giroud.
The French World Cup winner knows how to complement his wingers. Chelsea and France have benefited a lot. Still, most Blues fans do not want him in the team.
The same goes for Pedro. Lampard has him restricted to just cup games. Until last year, Pedro was one of Chelsea’s most consistent players despite being overlooked by most fans. He turned many games towards Chelsea’s favor, and has a better goal scoring record than Willian.
Unlike Mount, Zouma, and others who are given match after match to prove their worth, both Giroud and Pedro are ignored after a single average performance. Yet nobody will talk about the disrespect they are getting from everyone. Nobody is interested that Lampard is not taking advantage of every player at his disposal, of every unique set of attributes he can mould into a team, to do something about Chelsea’s inability to score goals late in games and therefore win some of these easily-winnable games.
Chelsea have given up too many points to bottom half teams and surrendered too many leads late in games for Lampard to ignore any option on the best. When neither his Plan A nor his Plan B are working, fans cannot afford to act like there is no Plan C just because Giroud and Pedro are somehow out of favor.
Olivier Giroud and Pedro are on the bench for nearly every game Chelsea should win. Maybe if they were on the pitch the result would be different and fans would see them for the game-changers they have always been.