Chelsea should use the next run of games not to experiment, but to test

Chelsea has four light games on paper before the next international break. Frank Lampard should use these matches not to experiment, but to test his squad.

Early in the season, it is important to not over commit when playing rivals. Wins are great, but losses to rivals hurt much more than draws in the long run. Jose Mourinho always built his teams on this idea, settling for a draw to rivals rather than pushing and over exposing for a win. Frank Lampard followed a similar theory against group stage rivals Sevilla and Premier League rivals Manchester United.

That being said, there is another side to that coin of Mourinho’s: opening the floodgates against smaller teams. It is okay to share a point with your rival, but only if you’re getting three against the teams that should be beaten. The difference between Mourinho’s 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 seasons was not matches against rivals, but matches against the rest. Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa came in and earned the Blues the points that made the difference against teams that should be beaten.

That is where Chelsea is now. The draws were fine results, but only if they are followed by wins. The next run of games to the international break include Krasnodar, Burnley, Rennes, and Sheffield United. This is not the time for Lampard to experiment with his squad, but it is a moment to test what he has available as the season moves ahead at its rapid pace.

Lampard has been committed to the 4-2-3-1 this season in all but two games: Liverpool (4-3-3) and United (3-4-3). If he sees that as his ultimate goal, then it should continue. The most important thing is one set up for the next four matches regardless of what that set up is. If 3-4-3 is now the way forward, stick with it for the next four games. If it is 4-3-3, do the same with that.

Once that is settled, he needs to figure out the lineup for Krasnodar. No offense to the Russian side, but it is the best chance Lampard will have in the next run of games to rotate. With games every three to four days, he’ll have to if he expects to have a squad come the winter. Beyond that, Lampard still needs to see what some players can offer him.

Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, and N’Golo Kante must rest against Krasnodar. Most of the team should. Even if 4-2-3-1 is brought back, Lampard has the ability to make up to nine changes without really sacrificing a great deal of quality. He should take advantage of it and any player brought in should know Chelsea should be beating the Russian side regardless of who plays.

Burnley will be up next and Lampard can use that came to reward players that came in and did well against Krasnodar while also bringing back some rested legs. Burnley will be a tricky defensive opponent but they have had a horrid start to the season. Even a half rotated Chelsea side should be expected to get the job done.

Rennes will be next and regardless of how Krasnodar goes, the Blues should field their “best” XI as determined over the last two matches. Two Champions League wins before the break, regardless of what Sevilla does, would have Chelsea sitting pretty looking at first or second almost guaranteed.

Sheffield United is tricky. Though they have been bad this year, they also finished very well last year. This probably is another match for the “best” XI as they seek to build partnerships and give Chelsea a foothold in the league.

Should the Blues expect 12 points out of these four matches? Maybe not necessarily because of how weird this season is, but they shouldn’t be expecting any losses either. Lampard’s Chelsea has built a platform in the last two games and now they have to build on it. This is the moment to see who is who going into the great winter slog of matches. Experimenting should be put on the back burner as the Blues look to build on what they have begun.