Chelsea: Frank Lampard risks problems by ignoring Olivier Giroud

Frank Lampard’s team selection could prove to be problematic as Chelsea faces numerous games in multiple competitions with Olivier Giroud on the bench.

Chelsea’s manager Frank Lampard is risking his team’s future success with his team selections over the first months of the season. One of the issues is keeping Olivier Giroud on the bench. The manager is in danger of over-using some players like Timo Werner and underusing others and those decisions could prove devastating in the long-term to any hope of a Chelsea title this season. Lampard has to rotate his players more to more effectively utilize the weapons at his disposal or he risks trouble during the long multi-competition season.

Lampard is driving certain players too hard in trying to win every game at the expense of his future success. Timo Werner is an example. Werner has been used at center forward, his best position, and also on the left wing, especially in the absence of super winger Christian Pulisic. Lampard has Callum Hudson-Odoi to use at a wing spot and over-using Werner is a mistake. What the reason for the manager’s reluctance to give the young sensation a runout is baffling, at best.

Lampard also has top options at center forward to utilize in formations that might present different challenges to opponents who have not had to deal with two lengthy center forwards, Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud. Yet, the manager has largely and unfathomably kept Giroud, the part savior of his 2019-2020 campaign on the bench. This is a dubious omission.

In the last season, it took an almost completely hobbled Tammy Abraham to finally essentially force Lampard to insert Giroud into the first team after keeping him languishing on the bench for months prior. Not surprisingly, Giroud delivered goals and wins to Chelsea along with a rejuvenated Christian Pulisic and Willian who led the team to Champions League qualification.

Yet, similarly, this season, Lampard once again remains reluctant to utilize the French national team legend and still amazingly effective Giroud almost at all, excepting final minute mopping-up duties. Lampard is again missing the boat with Giroud. Rumors are now are circulating that Inter Milan and Antonio Conte may once again make a move for Giroud in January. The question here is what does it take for the Chelsea manager to realize that Giroud provides tremendous value-added to the squad whenever he is inserted into the team. Hopefully, he will again realize this before it is too late.

At this stage of his career, Giroud realizes that he is likely to be assigned a backup role, especially behind talents such as Timo Werner. Yet, he also is certainly well-aware that having fresh legs available at all times at center forward is a tremendous advantage to a manager, especially when he has talent the likes of Werner, Abraham, and Giroud available to him. Giroud has long been one of the most under-rated center forwards in world football. Both Arsenal and Chelsea managers have succumbed to the thought that he was a less-able center-forward than whoever manned the top spot. At every turn, Giroud proved them wrong.

On multiple occasions when inserted into a game against Chelsea, the Arsenal-shirted Giroud would score to thwart the Blue’s hopes. Similarly, when at Chelsea (an acquisition that this writer couldn’t have been happier about), Giroud has also delivered the goods. Yet, Lampard still will not provide the first-team French World Cup winning national team starting center forward with any meaningful minutes. Why not?

Lampard needs to reevaluate Giroud’s role on the club. Whether it be to deputize for Werner or Abraham. Or, in a tandem two center forward alignment with Abraham, or as a substitute for Werner or whatever formation the Chelsea gaffer can devise. Olivier Giroud has to play. It says here, when you have a winner, you play a winner. And now, languishing on the bench, Giroud may be in danger of losing his starting position on the French national team.

Play him now, or, if not, he’ll be on his way in January, and who can blame him? Sooner or later (as Lampard learned last season) it will pay big dividends to play Giroud. Why not do it now and keep all of the centers forwards fresh for challenges in all three competitions still available. It makes sense. Perfect sense. Hopefully, Lampard will get the message. And soon.