It’s silly season around SW6 again and the boo boys are out and they are all pointed, as they usually are, at the current manager, Frank Lampard. It says here that those suggesting that he should be relieved of his duties should quiet down and allow the gaffer a chance to extricate the squad from this current predicament. To suggest that all blame or responsibility should rest on the manager’s shoulders is laughable. Never once, ever, has a manager failed to convert a good chance; missed a block of a shot; or allowed a howler of a goal while he was on the sidelines. Hasn’t happened. And it certainly hasn’t happened under Frank Lampard. So here are three reasons why the current Chelsea manager should be allowed to manage his way out of the current downswing in the club’s fortunes.
1. The huge influx of new additions
Recovering or reemerging from its forced and then self-inflicted transfer ban, finding itself in a solid financial position, the club decided to embark upon a massive infusion of new very capable transfer talent in the summer of 2020. This very welcomed influx of stars who almost without dissatisfaction were welcomed as a fantastic agglomeration of new players to fuel the next round of Chelsea success. (This writer included.) However, observers failed to take into consideration (or perhaps brushed them aside in their exultation) some very pertinent facts which could very possibly put a damper on the high expectations of Blues’ fans over these signings.
Point one, all of the new players would have to acclimate themselves to a new country; a new home; a new language; and, a new culture. And, this necessity was further complicated by their introduction into this completely new dynamic during the worst health crisis in a century. A major complicating factor, indeed. This was a very mitigating factor, indeed.