Chelsea: Three lessons as Frank Lampard takes Marcelo Bielsa to school

3. Frank Lampard has grown immensely as a manager since Derby County

Personally, I have never seen managers as growing or developing very much. To me, there is very little difference between a manager in their first year and their 20th, or at least there shouldn’t be if they have confidence in how the game is played. The main difference has been the resources available to the manager, not the manager themselves. That is why I was all for Lampard after one year at Derby County and why I didn’t give much credence to the notion that “he wasn’t ready yet”.

Lampard is partially proving that wrong. While his ideas are virtually the same as they were during his time at Derby County, it is the stuff off the field that has developed. Spygate rightfully got to him two years ago and I expected it to weigh on his mind this season for this match. It didn’t.

In fact, Chelsea had the handle of Leeds throughout, despite the view of the game. It was the closest the Blues have been to play in chaos since the Southampton match but they were able to ride that this time. Indeed, it is not anything tactically on the field that has changed, but it is the control on the field that has. That begins off the field with man management and Lampard has sharpened those skills greatly.

This also shows any time a title race is brought up to Lampard. The players believe it. Many fans are already booking it. But Lampard won’t. He knows that it is way too early to start that talk and he will let his squad no that. Even more, he makes the squad think they are underdogs. It is all a bit Jose Mourinho with more sugar than vinegar but it is working.

Chelsea ended the Leeds match 3-1, but more importantly is the manner of it. Leeds made the Blues work for it, but the Blues outran Leeds and blasted them away on xG. On another day, the match could have been a rout. Leeds fans only started talking about “net spend” after Lampard had outclassed Bielsa.

It may have been sometime since Lampard and Bielsa last faced off, but in that time Lampard has grown. And after that match, it is fair to say he took Bielsa to school on what a quality Premier League team looks like.