Last season saw the Blues lifting the Europa league trophy under the watch of Maurizio Sarri. Sarri being whom he was, was not without his own shortcomings as a manager. The Italian boss had few squabbles with his players at intervals, especially with Eden Hazard whom he minced no words in criticising his style of play. However, the former Chelsea gaffer made sure he finished the season with something big to show off. Lifting the Europa league was a big achievement despite the rough rides he faced in the Premier league. Some fans could not contend his aggressive nature of handling the players or media criticisms towards Stamford Bridge's most valuable player Hazard, but most would have still love him to continue this season. Fate had other plans and Sarri had to resign from Chelsea and take over from Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus. The lot to pilot the blues later fell on "Young" Frank Lampard, whom many sports analysts and fans doubted his coaching capability, especially as regards his managerial experience. For many, Lampard is still too young and inexperienced to manage a big club like Chelsea at this moment when the Blues need to resuscitate their Premier league title pursuit and perhaps become a force to reckon with in the Champions league. Despite being a legendary figure at Stamford Bridge during his days as a player, he wasn't the favorite for the job in the eyes of even Chelsea fans(this is my personal opinion). For most fans, coaching is a different ball game altogether and we all felt he needed more years of experience, if he is to manage a topflight team like Chelsea. With Sarri having departed after helping the Blues lift the Europa, it seemed like Lampard would be expected to at least show something better. The Preseason encounters weren't too good for Lampard as a new young coach who was under pressure to make haste and gain the confidence of both fans and players.
It was a rough preseason and his detractors were already feeling justified. Apart from not having a smooth season, Lampard would have to brainstorm how to navigate through the waves of the season without new signings, as Chelsea got a transfer ban, thereby preventing Frank from fortifying his squad. Amidst the tension and pressure, the former England international knew what was ahead of him, a huge mountain. He was not unaware that he had to contend against teams like Liverpool and Manchester City without the Club's most Valuable player Hazard, who understandably departed for Madrid in search of Greener Pastures. He just had to structure his game plan with the players at his disposal, build a new team according to his taste and ride against the odds. Not so many gave him the chance and Chelsea were not to many a team that will finish top four under Lampard. Apart from Liverpool and Manchester City, Tottenham and perhaps Manchester United or Arsenal were considered by many as those who would complement the top four spot. However, Lampard has refused to be pressured into the tunnel, in fact, Chelsea are currently doing well in almost all competitions. It's already 10 games in the league and the Blues are having a firm grip at the top four region. The Blues are also in control of their Champions league group and to a reasonable extent, are making strides in the league Cup, pending Wednesday's game. I think so far so good, Lampard deserves some accolades, when one considers where teams like Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham are on the table. When asked about how he feels about Chelsea's current performance so far this season, Lampard said, “I am just really pleased where we have got to. We have to be aware that we can improve. We have to be aware of getting overconfident in this moment. We don’t want to start putting crazy expectations on ourselves from within … let everyone else talk. But from within, we have to know it is game by game and how we can get better day by day. At the minute we have that feeling and it is my job to keep that.”
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