Chelsea: Unfortunately for Frank Lampard, football is a business first

Unfortunately for Frank Lampard, Chelsea may not have the time for a rebuild because in football, business comes before anything else.

Frank Lampard knew what he was getting himself into long before he was named manager of Chelsea Football Club on July 4, 2019. As a player, Lampard witness first hand just how toxic and ruthless the Blues’ sack culture can be on numerous occasions. He watched as legendary coaches like Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho were shown the door, which really makes you wonder why he took the job in the first place. The simple answer would be to call him clinically insane and move on. However, Lampard took this job because he’s a serial winner who never stops fighting for what he loves. He saw an opportunity to right the wrongs done by Chelsea in years past, so his passion for the club brought him back early on in his managerial career.

Nobody said it would be easy. Lampard knew that, so he came prepared. The now 42-year-old presented a three-year plan to the club upon his hire and it seemed as though the Blues’ directors were on board with the rebuild. Words are useless without action though. It’s yet to be seen, but as the latest rumors begin to swirl about Lampard’s job being in jeopardy, Chelsea seems to be going back to its old ways. Unfortunately, Blues fans’ biggest fears may become true within the coming months as Lampard learns the hard way that football is—and always will be—a business before anything else.

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While many were celebrating Chelsea’s successful summer spending spree, others immediately realized the microscope it put Lampard under. There are a few reasons as to why Lampard’s first season set the bar low in terms of expectations; the main one being the transfer ban. While this went along with his plan to establish a nucleus and fight for top four, spending nearly £250 million in the transfer window seemingly discarded the three-year plan.

Lampard’s expectation was now to finish comfortably inside the top four, make it further into the Champions League and continue to compete for titles. However, any time you asked him, he’d always say the same thing: the Blues need to close the gap. Lampard stood his ground and defended his beliefs, even when staring a 17-game unbeaten run in the face. Everybody and their mothers were discussing Chelsea as title contenders, but not Lampard.

Unfortunately as the Blues continue to struggle on both the collective and individual levels, those who touted the Blues as title challengers are now calling for Lampard’s head, and the club seems to be cozying up to the idea. This is because, before anything else, football is a business. Players and fans alike can discuss Lampard’s legendary player status around Stamford Bridge until they’re blue in the face (no pun intended), but if the board remains unconvinced, it doesn’t matter. To individuals like Marina Granovskaia, Bruce Buck and most importantly, Roman Abramovich, football is a game of figures—numerical figures, not body-like shapes.

The unfortunate reality at the moment is that Lampard is seemingly throwing money down the drain on multiple fronts. As Kai Havertz and Timo Werner continue to struggle, their combined £123.4 million transfers are becoming the elephant in the room. There are legitimate excuses as to why they haven’t been as sharp as in years prior, but the concerning thing is the fact that Lampard has not shown he has the slightest clue about how to get these players back on track. That isn’t even taking into consideration each players’ weekly wages.

In addition to the large amount of money being currently wasted on the transfer front, the Blues’ poor form is seeing them slip further and further down the table. Chelsea was temporarily top of the Premier League after a December 5 win over Leeds United. However, less than one month removed from that victory, the Blues sit seven points back of Liverpool—who has a game in-hand—in eighth. Any Southampton result in the Saints’ extra game and they could bump Chelsea down into ninth before the Blues’ contest against Fulham in mid-January.

Why does this matter though? The answer is simple: money.

As Chelsea continues to drop points, the team gives those above them an opportunity to build a sizable point advantage. This matters at the end of the year when the Blues are looking to squeak into the top four. The further Chelsea falls, the more money it loses. Failing to qualify for the Champions League next season will cost the club at least £25 million and potentially more, depending on the theoretical results. In addition, the top four spots carry around a £2 million prize difference from the Premier League in merit. As you go further and further down the table though, those numbers go from about a £5 million difference to £10 million split, depending on where you finish.

It’d be nearly impossible to calculate exactly how much the Blues would miss out on at this moment, especially without having access to the club’s financials. Regardless, these figures just begin to scratch the surface and put into perspective how costly sticking with Lampard could truly be. This is not meant to show my support for keeping or sacking the gaffer—I’ve made my personal view quite clear—but instead, highlight the reasons for Lampard being on the hot seat. The club doesn’t care about what a minority of fans (I use that term loosely) are vocal about on social media, nor do they take into consideration what pundits have to say. The club’s hierarchy cares about one thing: you guessed it, money. Football is a business first and a form of entertainment second, that will never change, at least not in the world’s top leagues.

What are your current feelings on the Lampard situation? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!