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Poll – Chelsea Fans Split On Lampard Sacking

By Chelsea NewsNo Comments

Yesterday Chelsea sacked Frank Lampard, as a lifelong fan seeing a club legend leaving the club was devastating. However, fans are split on whether it was the right decision

The initial reaction of this blog is anger and disappointment and that his sacking was premature. However, this Twitter poll shows that not everyone agrees

Whilst half of fans think this was the wrong decision nearly one in three have taken the short-term view that led to the club unceremoniously dumping a club legend whose new signings were not performing.

A Manager Of Hope and Excitement

Lampard is an icon who had brought optimism and excitement back to Stamford Bridge. We were able to get behind a club legend who blooded youth for the first time in decades. Unfortunately, the transition and signings after the end of the transfer ban has had mixed results.

The sacking of Lampard can be partially placed on the heads of the players who have gone from heroes at the start of December to clueless and lifeless over the Christmas period.

The new signings Werner, Havertz and others who have struggled to adapt to the Premier League are particularly culpable to the exit of Lampard.

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No Chance To Say Goodbye

The problem with no fans at games is that we have not been able to properly vocalise our support for Frank.

This must have made the optics and decision making to fire him easier for Roman. An owner that has given so much but has again broken our hearts with ruthless treatment of a player that fans love.

The fans will of course keep supporting the team but this decision is going to sting for quite a bit.

Thanks for your service Frank and we hope to have you back at the Bridge one day.

Jan 26, 2021

Routine Win Boosts Morale For Ziyech, Havertz and Werner

By Chelsea AnalysisNo Comments

Beating Morecambe met minimum expectations, the main positive of the result was goals for Kai Havertz and Timo Werner. Hopefully, be the catalyst for better individual performances and team performances.

League Two Morecambe gave a good account of themselves, but anything but a comfortable win would have heaped further pressure on Frank Lampard.

The result was comfortable, Chelsea had not lost in the third round since 1999 and the result was never really in doubt.

There was at least one piece of drama, even if a standard piece of Kepa drama almost gave the Shrimps the lead from a misdirected cross.

The biggest moment of the game was a cushioned header by Kai Havertz that game Timo Werner the biggest gift an out of form striker could hope for. Werner was able to smash home from just two yards out.

This was the first time Werner has scored in at least a dozen games and whilst an incredibly simple finish, hopefully, it will give him the confidence to get back to the level he was at in the Bundesliga last season.

Another enjoyable moment was from the also struggling Ziyech who placed a beautiful ball through for Callum Hudson Odoi to convert.

Finally, Havertz got a reward for a decent performance to put a bow on the scoreline. He connected with a Cesar Azpilicueta cross to finish an impressive header past the keeper.

Overall Thoughts

The Morecambe game will not have a significant impact on the future of Frank Lampard or be particularly well remembered. However, anytime fringe players get a run-out and out of form players get a chance to build confidence and get on the scoresheet is positive.

The test will be against Fulham. A good result and performance is vital as it really feels we only have a game or two to save our season and keep the Lampard project viable.

 

Jan 10, 2021

Club With Most Premier League Manager Changes Will Surprise You

By Chelsea FC HistoryNo Comments

Since the Premier League started in 1992 there have been more than 240 managers. The club to have had the most managers is Newcastle United with current manager Steve Bruce the 23rd manager to take charge of the Geordies during the Premier League era.

We were surprised when we saw that it was Newcastle with most managers. It does make sense though a yo-yo history in the league and high expectations from fans and ownership make high manager turnover inevitable.

Given our record with managers, I thought we would top the list. We could reclaim our spot at the top of this hall of shame as we are tied for 2nd in the list just one behind Newcastle.

Frank Lampard is our 22nd manager during the Premier League era if you include caretakers such as Ray Wilkins and Graham Rix who each had temporary roles in charge for a game or two between permanent managers.

Chelsea are currently tied in second with Spurs who are managed by Jose Mourinho who has managed the Blues twice, this list counts every managerial change so Mourinho counts as 2 for Chelsea. Also the clubs have both had Andre Villas-Boas as manager in recent years.

Let’s hope our number does not move for a long time and that the Mourinho magic fails to materialise and we move down the list.

 

Jan 6, 2021

Chelsea First Club To SACK Manager In Premier League Era

By Chelsea FC History2 Comments

In February 1993 Chelsea sacked Ian Porterfield making Chelsea the first club to sack a manager in Premier League history.

Porterfield was the manager for the admin’s first-ever Chelsea game a 3-2 defeat after being 2-nil up which characterised the inconsistent nature of the Blues during this era.

His sacking came after a bright start to the season and he was replaced at the end of the season by Chelsea FA Cup-winning legend David Webb. Webb took the Blues on a seven-game unbeaten run to stave off the threat of relegation and further enhance his legendary reputation among Chelsea fans.

Changes In Managerial Lifecycle 

The managerial lifecycle is a lot different now than it was back in 1993.

It is unfathomable to think in the modern league that the first manager to be sacked would not meet their fate until February. Let alone that they would be the only manager to be sacked before the season’s end.

The fact Chelsea were the first club to sack a manager would not surprise someone who was more familiar with the managerial policies of Roman Abramovich.

We live in a results-driven league where the financial stakes of success and failure have never been higher. The money in the game today may have been triggered by the foundation of the Premier League but it has exploded beyond recognition compared the early 90’s.

This, the media and fan opinion explosion plus a number of other factors mean that owners are less patient and more trigger happy when a poor run of form sees their investment slide

Whilst being the first club to sack a manager is a dubious honour, we are not the club to have had the most managers during the Premier League era (for now)

You can find out who tops the list in our related article here.

Jan 6, 2021

The Spurs Legend Who Was Chelsea’s Worst Manager

By Chelsea FC HistoryNo Comments

Results are everything in football and expectations in modern times mean even a few bad games can see a Chelsea manager given the boot. However modern-day managers would never get the time afforded to the club’s least successful manager of all time.

Arguably the worst Chelsea manager in terms of results was Danny Blanchflower who managed the club between December 1978 and September 1979.

Who Was Danny Blanchflower

Danny Blanchflower was one of the greatest footballers of his generation.

Playing in the 50’s and 60’s, he had a glittering playing career with bitter rivals Spurs and went on to be a hugely popular football writer.

He won the double in 1960/1961 and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1963 and was named as one of the 1958 World Cup All-Stars.

“The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom.” – Danny Blanchflower

Despite his status as a Spurs legend, his time at Chelsea was his only job as a manager. Having been passed over for the Spurs job whilst working there as a coach.

Danny Blanchflower Worst Chelsea Manager

The case for Blanchflower being the club’s worst manager are pretty compelling

  • Won just 5 of his 32 games in charge (16%)
  • Got relegated and finished bottom of the league
  • Saw club legends Ray Wilkins and Peter Bonetti leave during his reign

When compared to what gets you sacked in the modern era at Stamford Bridge it really puts into perspective how the game and the club have changed.

So whilst Blanchflower should be remembered as one of the greats of the game as a player, he also is arguably the worst Chelsea manager in terms of results. Which to Spurs fans may actually be a badge of honour for a club legend.

Jan 5, 2021
Stamford Bridge with scoreboard in view looking towards Shed End from Chelsea v Leeds 5th December

Should Chelsea Sack Frank Lampard? – Not This Season

By Chelsea NewsOne Comment

The crushing run of results in December and humiliation by Manchester City has seen a solid start turn into pressure on Frank Lampard’s position at the club. Where did it go wrong and should Chelsea sack Frank Lampard?

At the start of December, everything looked rosy. The club had qualified for the next round of the Champions League and were knocking at the door at the top of the table.

Since beating Leeds in the only Premier League game of the season where Chelsea fans were in attendance on the 5th of December there have been four defeats a win and a draw. Whilst dropping points is inevitable it is the manner of the performances that are most concerning.

After fixing leaks at the back early in the season, problems have sprung up literally everywhere else.

The midfield looks unbalanced and unable to control games and in attack we look clueless.

Timo Werner can’t score for toffee and Kai Havertz seems to be struggling to locate the pitch let alone his cutting edge.

These problems need to be addressed fast.

It is clear that Frank Lampard does not know his strongest team and cannot rely on some of the new signings at the moment (we hope they come good with time).

With Pulisic and Ziyech back, there should be a better creative base to work from. I think dropping Werner and playing Giroud or Abraham in the short term may be an effective way to turn around things going forward.

The major work though seems to be in midfield where we need to find a combination that has creativity but still some creative steel. Part of this will be getting N’Golo Kante back to his best.

Stamford Bridge with scoreboard in view looking towards Shed End from Chelsea v Leeds 5th December

Chelsea have struggled since beating Leeds with fans in attendance

Should Chelsea Sack Frank Lampard?

In our opinion it is still far too early for any talk of changing manager.

Since last season the club should be seen as a project and blips and teething problems are inevitable. The entire league is wildly unpredictable and a few good results would still see us surge up the table.

Given his stature, the job he did last season and the lack of sensible alternatives Lampard should be given the whole season to show what he can do.

After all, I think a Chelsea legend deserves more than a few games to turn around a poor run of games.

Even if things continue to deteriorate in the coming weeks, we are not fans of changing managers mid-season particularly when they are icons. It encourages the club to do stupid things like make Rafa Benitez a temporary kit man.

This blog does not think Chelsea should sack Frank Lampard.

The problem for Frank Lampard is that Roman Abramovich does not share our views on managerial appointments. By his standards waiting this long is patient.

Whilst we would encourage patience and point out we are still rebuilding. This is not the same scenario as last season.

Lampard is not fixing and making do with a splash of youth anymore. A solid first season and an end to the transfer ban have seen spending and expectations rise.

Fans and more importantly ownership will be expecting a return on their £200m investment

I think that the games against Leicester and Wolves are likely to be the measure of whether he is given more time. A couple of positive results and all will be forgotten. Lose one or both and well I think Lampard could be asked to leave.

Jan 4, 2021
Stamford Bridge closed food kiosk in the Shed End

Five Players Chelsea Should Sell This January

By Transfer Thoughts2 Comments

With a bloated squad and a high wage bill Chelsea are more likely to sell than buy in the current transfer window, here are the five players Chelsea should sell this January transfer window

Let’s start with a couple of obvious players who are on decent wages but are not even registered in the Blues Premier League or European squads.

Danny Drinkwater

A poor piece of business at the time, the route back to the Chelsea squad seems impossible for Danny Drinkwater. The problem is there are unlikely to be many suitors particularly given his current wages which far exceed what others are likely to pay given the degradation of his reputation on and off the field since leaving Leicester.

Baba Rahman

Another player outside of the Chelsea squad in the Premier League and Champions League but not on loan is Baba Rahman. It looks like Chelsea will find some suitors in the Championship, but the club is likely to take a loss on the £14m spent on the Ghanaian.

Derby, Middlesbrough and Watford are rumoured to have an interest, so let’s hope for all involved the left-back can move on with his career and get some game time.

Stamford Bridge closed food kiosk in the Shed End

Who will be on the menu for Chelsea in January?

Kepa Arrizibalaga

Another obvious choice, the problem will be getting a club to pay a decent sum for a keeper whose star has withered in the last 18 months.

The club will have to take a massive loss on the £70m Chelsea reportedly paid Athletico Madrid.

Although bringing the money in would help future purchases it is hard to see anyone taking the financial gamble of the former No.1 either on loan or a purchase.

Antonio Rudiger

We personally love Rudi, however, it is clear that Frank Lampard does not see a future for him at Stamford Bridge. For us he seems the most likely to find a club willing to pay for him.

Prices at the moment are depressed so it will be interesting to see who would come in for him and how much they would be willing to pay.

Marcos Alonso

Another Chelsea player that we have a soft spot for but Frank Lampard does not.

Alonso has had some amazing moments during his time at Stamford Bridge but getting him a transfer would seem like a sensible option for all parties.

It looks like Athletico Madrid are the most likely destination either as a transfer on loan but nothing has been agreed as yet.

Either way we will be wishing Marcos well.

Jan 3, 2021

Chelsea Fans Stop Complaining & Enjoy The Ride

By Chelsea AnalysisNo Comments

This season continues to bend the mind of football fans used to the top six teams being consistent winning machines. It is time to re-align expectations and enjoy the ride rather than speculating on how long Lampard might last as manager. 

Let’s start by acknowledging that pandemic football is an odd beast.

A wide range of factors including an increase in quality from teams newly promoted or looking to move up has led to goals and inconsistency.

Teams like Leeds have come into the league with no fear and every team with the exception of Sheffield United seem capable of beating anybody else on their day.

This combined with some poor performances has made following the Blues frustrating of late.

However, all is not lost as the entire league is an inconsistent mess, making it exciting to watch and giving us plenty to debate and moan about.

We Are Still In The Mix (For Now)

The impact has been that there quite narrow points spread from 1st to 15th compared to previous seasons.

Meaning that even after 16 games a team that can put a run of 3 or 4 victories together will can storm up the table and suddenly start being feted as a contender.

We have seen this happen to Chelsea early in the season and now Manchester United over the Christmas period.

Chelsea are now seeing the reverse of this at the moment.

A poor December has seen the Blues sink from top of the table to sixth in just a few games. Despite this Frank Lampard’s team are still only seven points from league leaders Liverpool.

Fans on Twitter and Facebook have been posting and complaining about the poor run of form and comparing performances now to previous seasons.

This is fair as poor performances make us all mad, but this season more than others it will drive you crazy

Chelsea do need to refind our rhythm, get our expensive striker scoring and recapture the energy of earlier in the campaign. Frank Lampard has made what look like poor tactical decisions over the last few weeks that have cost points.

Werner has not scored in 11 games and been played out of position on multiple occasions much to fans frustration

The pressure will always be on a Chelsea manager to get results, but judging Lampard and suggesting he cannot get the job done so early in a rollercoaster campaign where others are dropping points with equal regularity is premature.

Things Can Turn Around Fast

These struggles are not unique to the Blues and we have faith that over the course of a topsy turvy season things will turn out ok.

I recommend we embrace the fact that for this season at least the pandemic means the usual hierarchies and expectations are out the window.

We will lose more, but so will others.

Things can turn around fast so lets try and focus on that rather than overanalyse the future of Frankie Lampard as the gaffer.

Beating Man City on Sunday would certainly help.

Jan 1, 2021
Chelsea Beat West Ham Worst Performance For Three NIl Win

[POLL] West Ham Victory Worst Three Nil Win In Recent Memory

By Match CentreNo Comments

Chelsea returned to winning ways but not to form against West Ham. Whilst happy with an important win it was arguably the worst three-nil win performance-wise that we can remember. 

The performance was pretty dire.

Despite taking the lead reasonably early in the game the performance did not look comfortable at all.

Players kept giving the ball away cheaply and with the exception of Thiago Silva few players seemed to be having a good night. Marginal fouls and offside decisions saved Chelsea on a couple of occasions and it was painful to watch.

In the second half the performance was abject with West Ham allowed to pile on the pressure and come within a whisker of getting an equaliser.

It really felt coming into the last 20 minutes that it was only a matter of time before we were punished by a West Ham side that was full of energy and determination.

However, against the run of play Tammy Abraham latched onto Timo Werners mishit shot with a well-executed finish to create a margin that he extended minutes later with a tidy finish.

Three nil would to neutral be seen as a harsh result based on the balance of play. However as it is Chelsea v West Ham United so the way we win is not important in the slightest as long as we win.

That does not detract from the fact the performance did not match the scoreline.

We polled Chelsea fans to see their thoughts and nearly half agreed this was the worst three-nil performance they could remember.

Yet results are all that matter in football and on Monday we got the result not the performance we needed.

The history books will record the scoreline the brace from Tammy Abraham and three points that gets the club heading back up the table and heading in the right direction.

Is the victory last night the worst three-nil win you can remember?

Dec 22, 2020