[ad_1]
Club legend Frank Lampard is at Chelsea.
[ MORE: How to watch PL in the USA ]
Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea board have taken the ruthless decision to sack Lampard, 42, after 18 months at the helm of Stamford Bridge after a five-game losing streak in their last eight Premier League games, leaving them five points on the first four.
As late as December 5, Chelsea were top of the Premier League table, but Lampard’s young side spiraled into the league with poor performances matching their defeats. It is believed the board were concerned about the team’s lack of progress and the youngsters lacked confidence.
Add to that the more than $ 300 million spent on new players this summer, and the pressure was on Lampard in his second season at the helm of the club where he is the all-time leading scorer.
Via Opta, here are some key stats on Lampard’s time in charge of Chelsea:
- Frank Lampard’s points per game average of 1.67 is the 4th lowest of any permanent Chelsea coach in the Premier League.
- In Roman Abramovich’s day, only Andre Villas-Boas (47.5%) had a worse win rate in all competitions among Chelsea permanent managers than Frank Lampard (52.4%).
- Since the start of last season, only Newcastle (54) have conceded more away goals in the Premier League than Frank Lampard’s Chelsea (50).
- Chelsea have kept a clean sheet in just 17% of their away Premier League games under Frank Lampard (5/29); among those who have supported more than 10 away games in the competition, this is the lowest percentage of all Chelsea coaches.
- Since August 2019, Chelsea have won just 15 points against their compatriots ‘big six’, a low total alongside Arsenal. Les Bleus have scored 17 goals and conceded 28 times in 15 matches.
- Chelsea have kept 13 clean sheets in 29 games in all competitions this season, the same record as in 55 games across 2019-20.
Here’s what Chelsea’s statement said after Lampard’s sacking.
“The Chelsea Football Club have today separated from head coach Frank Lampard. This was a very difficult decision, and not a decision the owner and the board took lightly. We are grateful to Frank for what he accomplished in his time as the club’s head coach. However, recent results and performances have fallen short of the Club’s expectations, leaving the mid-level club with no clear path to lasting improvement.
“There can never be a good time to part ways with a club legend like Frank, but after much deliberation and consideration, it was decided that a change was needed now to give the Club time to do so. ‘improve his performance and results this season.
Roman Abramovich said: “ It was a very difficult decision for the club, not least because I have a great personal relationship with Frank and have the utmost respect for him. He is a man of great integrity and has the highest work ethic. However, under the current circumstances, we believe it is better to change managers.
“On behalf of everyone at the Club, on the Board and personally, I would like to thank Frank for his work as Head Coach and wish him every success in the future. He is an important icon of this great club and his status here remains intact. He will always be warmly welcomed at Stamford Bridge.
Thomas Tuchel next for Chelsea
Chelsea have said they ‘will not make any further comment until a new head coach is appointed’, but our partners at Sky Germany believe Thomas Tuchel will be in charge in a few days. Maybe even for the Wolves game on Wednesday.
Tuchel was sacked by Paris Saint-Germain in December but his quality as a coach is unquestionable and he has improved the young players of Borussia Dortmund and PSG and that will be his main task here. He will also be responsible for improving Chelsea defensively and making them better tactically.
New hires and German colleagues Kai Havertz and Timo Werner will be his main projects to work on, while Tuchel has also coached Christian Pulisic in Dortmund, which could work well for the USMNT star as Tuchel has really kicked off his career in the Bundesliga.
Tuchel had wanted to move to the Premier League for a long time and after guiding PSG to the UEFA Champions League final last season, it seemed like the natural next step.
However, this dismissal seems harsh for Lampard, especially after the transfer ban last season as he guided Chelsea to the top four and the FA Cup final under very difficult circumstances. But Chelsea are a ruthless club and Tuchel is one of the best coaches in Europe and is available now.
The fact that Abramovich has made a public statement shows how much he respects Lampard, as the Chelsea owner rarely speaks about the club and the decisions made.
Lampard’s fate has been sealed, perhaps for a while, but he will likely get another Premier League job after giving insight into what he can accomplish under difficult circumstances.
[ad_2]
Source link