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Planned position of Guardian authors: 4th (NB: it is not necessarily the prediction of Jacob Steinberg but the average of the tricks of our writers)
Position of last season: 3rd
Chances of winning the championship (via Oddschecker): 33-1
As a player, Frank Lampard became European Champion, scored goals that put an end to Chelsea's 50 years of waiting and trained for the sole purpose of improving every day. A hard worker, he has embarked on management with a zeal that sets him apart from others in his playing career and has earned a reputation for playing football in an attractive way and giving young people a chance. As a bonus, he even seems to have heard of the Chelsea Academy, which should be good news for players such as Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mason Mount. Andreas Christensen, the 23-year-old from Denmark, hopes to have more defensive matches. The influence of Lampard is attested by Hudson-Odoi, long coveted by Bayern Munich, who wants to sign a new agreement.
At first glance, Lampard's return to the club he knows is well appreciated, he is respected by the club's board of directors, reputed to be hard to please, and revered by the fans who will feel submerged by nostalgia and excitement. when they see their manager in pirogue at Old Trafford on August 11th. It's a rendezvous that makes sense on many levels, not least because Chelsea's scorer's setup should have a refreshing effect on the mood after a year dominated by fewer glowing songs about the quality of Sarriball.
Despite all the romanticism of Lampard's return to the country, there are realities that are difficult to face. After all, Chelsea has turned to a novice in management to replace a coach poached by Juventus. A coach who ended his first campaign in England placing third in the Premier League and defeating Arsenal in the final of the Europa League. A coach who spent a good part of last season, it seems, to reach his first goal: to bring Chelsea back into the Champions League. A coach who was ridiculed as a joke and blocked by supporters, to end up in a job with Serie A champions.
In Sarri's place, comes a 41-year-old man who's been running for a year, finished sixth in the championship with Derby County and lost the playoff finals to the benefit of a more experienced English manager, Dean Smith's. Aston Villa. Under different circumstances, there is no chance that Chelsea has asked Derby for permission to speak to Lampard.
But the appointment of Lampard now leads us to another thorny problem: Chelsea's inability to sign contracts until next summer after being hit by a ban on the transfer of two windows by Fifa. That could be a major hurdle as they finished 26 points behind Manchester City and 25 points behind Liverpool, figures that explain why Sarri spent a good part of the first half of last season to speak coldly of a challenge to the title. Why would one of the top European executives come to Chelsea at this point?
Lampard would probably have welcomed some signatures. Instead, it arrives just as Eden Hazard leaves, sold to Real Madrid for £ 88.5m, the Bernabéu's allure ultimately proving too powerful to be ignored by the brilliant Belgian lad. Chelsea, who often relies on Hazard, will probably not be better without his only elite talent and will not be able to replace him with a signature.
At least Christian Pulisic, bought for £ 58m at Borussia Dortmund before the arrival of the punishment of FIFA, has come to fill the creative void. The American can play in the hole or on the flanks and could give some excitement. However, the 20-year-old will need time to settle down and the sad truth for Lampard is that his attack seems much less daunting without Hazard. Pedro and Willian can flatter and Hudson-Odoi is recovering from an Achilles tendon injury. As for the strikers, Olivier Giroud has rarely been a constant force in the Premier League, neither Sarri nor Conte were convinced by Michy Batshuayi and Tammy Abraham, author of 25 goals during his loan to Villa last season, n is not proven at this level.
Once again, it's been a long time since Chelsea has a director who is willing to give a chance to a young talent as raw as Abraham. Pretty dark and dark. One of the best reasons to speed up Lampard is that its desire to promote youth offers a simple way to rejuvenate the team, and that Jody Morris, who has earned a glowing reputation for five years at the Chelsea Academy, will help her this respect.
There is a feeling that Chelsea is building for the future. So ruthless in the Roman Abramovich era, it is possible to detect a willingness to give Lampard a space to breathe and grow. The recruitment of Petr Cech as a technical and performance advisor reflects the desire to build an adequate structure around Lampard.
Such badurances will give Lampard the confidence to trust his vision. He showed Derby that he could improve young players. Chelsea gave him Mount and Fikayo Tomori, both of whom came back as top players. Mount will push for a midfield spot, Tomori in defense, while Jake Clarke-Salter and Reece James hope to catch Lampard's attention.
The transfer limbo also mean that Lampard could offer a second chance to marginal groups such as Danny Drinkwater and members of Chelsea's loan army, Kurt Zouma hoping to be in central defense after a year at Everton, Kenedy a option on the wing after a year in Newcastle. and midfielder Tiémoué Bakayoko, eager to prove themselves after spending last season in Milan.
The raw materials are at Lampard's disposal. But he must ensure that the number of positives outweighs the negatives. In goal Kepa Arrizabalaga is a goalkeeper with huge potential. In central defense, Antonio Rüdiger emerged as a senior leader. Caesar Azpilicueta remains serene at the right back, Emerson has imposed himself as the left-back after dislodging Marcos Alonso and Lampard's apparent preference for the 4-2-3-1 over the 4 -3-3 of Sarri should allow N & # 39; Golo Kanté to play a more central role alongside the deep orchestrator Jorginho, a division figure last season.
No 1: Arsenal
N ° 2: Aston Villa
N ° 3: Bournemouth
Number 4: Brighton and Hove Albion
N ° 5: Burnley
Number 6: Chelsea
No 7: Crystal Palace
N ° 8: Everton
N ° 9: The city of Leicester
No. 10: Liverpool
No 11: Manchester City
No. 12: Manchester United
N ° 13: Newcastle United
No. 14: Norwich City
No 15: Sheffield United
No. 16: Southampton
N ° 17: Tottenham Hotspur
No. 18: Watford
N ° 19: West Ham United
N ° 20: Wolverhampton Wanderers
Photography: Martin Rickett / PA
Moving Kanté inside should consolidate a team beaten 4-0 by Bournemouth and 6-0 by City last season. Still, questions persist. Can Lampard succeed where others have failed and curb David Luiz's reckless tendencies? Is Ross Barkley capable of a constant form? Was it a mistake to permanently sign Mateo Kovacic, a weak loan presence in Madrid? Will Ruben Loftus-Cheek be the same after an injury? Does Giroud, Batshuayi and Abraham convince in advance? And will there be enough sparks without danger?
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Lampard will need time to find the right answers. Unable to rely on the genius of Hazard, it will not be easy to follow Pep Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino. It's a transition period and Chelsea should consider it a bonus.
Imagine the excitement if it is Lampard who leads the charge to the title. Despite all the current uncertainties, it would be a big story.
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