Chelsea has confirmed the sacking of their manager Frank Lampard after a little more than 18 months in charge of the club. The decision was taken in order to arrest The Blues’ poor run of form in the league.
How Did It Go Wrong for Lampard?
Chelsea has been struggling of late, with their last victory an uninspiring slog against an unfancied Fulham side who were down to ten men almost through the duration of the match. Their last defeats to Manchester City and Leicester City, in particular, have proved particularly damaging, with the club languishing in ninth place in the league.
This was considered poor returns by the club, who spent £200 million pounds over the summer in order to establish The Blues as title contenders. The club’s hierarchy also expressed concern about Lampard’s inability to get the best out of summer signings Kai Havertz and Timo Werner.
Chelsea started the season well and was even talked up as title favorites at a point. However, their form has dropped off a cliff and Lampard departs with the lowest points per game of any Chelsea manager under Abramovich.
Squad Disagreements
Chelsea’s poor form is not the only reason why the club has decided to let Lampard go.
According to sources, friction between Lampard and a number of individuals in his squad has been apparent for a while now.
Lampard seemed to have a group of players that he favored and who started regularly, while others who are outside this privileged group struggled to get game time. The club has grown disillusioned with Lampard’s struggles to integrate and maximize the talents of marquee signings Havertz and Werner.
Former Paris Saint Germain boss Thomas Tuchel has been installed as the favorite to replace the British manager. Reports indicate that Abramovic believes that theGerman manager is the right man for the Chelsea job.