By Dylan Bettencourt
Sports Editor
Temporary manager Frank Lampard believes Chelsea are not “broken” but the truth is, every indication suggests they are a club in crisis.
Chelsea’s highest goal scorer and former manager Lampard was recruited by the club’s new owner Todd Boehly to finish the season with the club after Graham Potter was sacked.
The signing of Lampard, a beloved legend, on a temporary basis was an attempt to repair the relationship between the supporters and the club and restore a sense of fighting spirit.
The appointment was celebrated by fans, but given Lampard’s spotty record as a manager, it was questioned by the footballing world. Unconfirmed reports suggested that the late-night TV host James Corden was the man who advised Boehly to rehire Lampard did not help the club’s case.
Now, four games later, Lampard has failed to prove his doubters wrong.
Chelsea has lost all four games since Lampard’s return, the latest Premier League defeat being against Brighton & Hove Albion on the weekend. The situation at Stamford Bridge appeared dire.
After the game, Boehly decided to storm down to the dressing room and address the players, reportedly labelling this season as “embarrassing”.
He reportedly singled out one of the club’s new big-money signings for criticism, which was not received well by the unnamed player, who is now said to be looking for a way out of the club.
Of all the wrong things Boehly has said and done, calling this season embarrassing is not one of them. But Lampard disagreed.
“We’re not where we want to be. I think the word ‘broken’ is a bit much. The league position is reality and we are 2-0 down (against Real),” he said ahead of Tuesday’s second leg.
Chelsea ended up losing the second leg 2-0, exactly as they did a week before but credit to them, Chelsea played better than the scoreline suggested.
But the performance means nothing without the result and results are few and far between for Chelsea.
Calling Chelsea broken may seem harsh, but the loss and lack of identity spell trouble for the side.
The London club sits in 11th place in the Premier League standings and crashed out of the Uefa Champions League following a defeat to Real Madrid in the quarter-final.
Scoring only 30 goals in 31 Premier League games is not the problem. Neither is having three managers take charge in one season. And signing dozens of players is also not the problem.
There is no sense of direction, and that is the major issue at Chelsea. Not having any idea what the future holds or what the solution might be makes Chelsea a broken club.
It is incredibly difficult to pick up the pieces of a broken club. Manchester United supporters can attest to that as their puzzle finally begins to fall into place.
There is no doubt Chelsea can recover, a run of three or four victories will spark a fire in the Blue’s belly, but there is no goal without direction.
Chelsea requires an identity. They need something to hold onto during difficult periods; they need an idea that inspires them. Flashing money at the problems and hoping they all go away is not the solution.
Chelsea may be broken, but they need to be careful about crumbling completely. They could be behind the pack for years to come.
Pictured above: Frank Lampard
Image source: Chelsea
