Does anybody really know what’s happening at Stamford Bridge? Can anyone explain the board’s strategy? Here we are, with just a few weeks of the 2022/23 campaign to go and Frank Lampard has returned to coach the club which sacked him two years ago.
The former playing legend is the third manager to sit in the Chelsea dugout this term after Thomas Tuchel, now at FC Bayern, and the highly rated Graham Potter were shown the door. Having shelled out almost half a billion pounds on players since his arrival at Stamford Bridge last summer, owner Todd Boehly probably did not expect to see his team sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League table midway through April.
Remember, this is a club which, under the previous ownership of Roman Abramovich, won five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions Leagues. The Blues and their fans are not used to swilling around in mid table, just above the nine teams which are in a furious relegation scrap.
I dare say if Tuchel, who led Chelsea to the 2021 Champions League and had a win ratio of 60 per cent when he was axed, was still at the club they would be significantly higher. But having made his move for Potter and backed him in the January market it’s a bit of a head-scratcher as to why Boehly pulled the trigger again. Does he have a long-term plan for the club?
We thought the hire and fire days of the Abramovich regime were over and the departure of Tuchel was down to a clash of personalities; but sack Potter…what on earth is that all about?
Lampard, who was recently spotted by struggling Everton, oversaw a 1-0 defeat to Wolves on his first game back in charge, and more worryingly the Blues registered just one shot on target. The Premier League 2023 betting odds have long since forgotten Chelsea in terms of the title race but results like that are hard to stomach in any situation.
And Lampard’s upcoming run of fixtures don’t provide much comfort. Home games against Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford don’t sound too ominous but both the Seagulls and the Bees are above Chelsea in the league, then matches away to Arsenal and Manchester City couldn’t be much harder. Only a meeting at home to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest looks like a banker for the Blues. Fail to win that and I’d love to see what Boehly does next!
Some of the best young players in the world have arrived at Stamford Bridge, including Joao Felix and World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez, to join the likes of Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Reece James and Christian Pulisic. These should be exciting times at Chelsea, and, with the experience of Thiago Silva, Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante and Raheem Sterling in the group, the club looks like it should be a top-four cert.
But they will be very lucky to make a Europa League place.
Chelsea also have a Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid to take care of, with the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday. Could they possibly beat Los Blancos and have a shot at European glory? The latest SBOTOP odds price the Blues at 2.75 to navigate the tie with Madrid at a much shorter price of 1.43.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side are out of the running in the La Liga title race, losing at home to Villarreal at the weekend, but they are a dominant side in Europe, tearing Liverpool apart in the last round and Ancelotti is one of the best tacticians in the business.
I don’t hold out much hope for the West Londoners.
The 2023/24 Campaign
So, If Lampard is an interim appointment who will be in the dugout at the start of the 2023/24 season? We can’t rule the caretaker out entirely. If the former midfield ace can string together a spectacular set of Premier League 2023 results and/or win the Champions League then Boehly may be tempted to stick with him.
But I doubt it.
If not Lampard then the 35-year-old Julian Nagelsmann, recently sacked by FC Bayern, and former Barcelona and Spain manager Luis Enrique are the front runners. They both have the pedigree and playing style to please the Chelsea fans; but they, and the owners, will want to see a return on investment…and that means a top-four place and a trophy.
Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane and Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone have been mentioned. They are both proven winners and Simeone has the pragmatic approach of Chelsea’s Special One, Jose Mourinho and another successful Blues manager, Antonio Conte. This is a club in transition, though it looks like turmoil at the moment, and there won’t be a dull moment at the Bridge over the next 12 months.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
