Football

Lampard Gives Brutally Honest Advice for Pochettino’s Chelsea Journey

May 29, 2023 4:50 pm

Chelsea’s 1-1 draw against Newcastle brought an end to their dismal 2022/23 campaign. Frank Lampard bid farewell to Stamford Bridge for the third time in his professional career, leaving with words of caution for the incoming manager.

Mauricio Pochettinio will replace Lampard in the dugout, becoming the fourth manager under the new ownership of Todd Boehly and co. The Argentine will have his work cut out for himself if the departing caretaker manager is to be believed.

During his six weeks back in West London, the team struggled and finished the Premier League season in 12th place. The Chelsea legend believes there is a significant amount of work to be done at Chelsea.

Lampard’s Stark Assessment of Chelsea

He emphasizes the importance of standards within the club, stating that they are currently relevant and have dropped. A club like Chelsea has to be competitive at all levels, including the dressing room which helps them play at a high level. The demands of the Premier League require that the collective standards must be at the maximum, something that has dropped.

Lampard also advised Pochettino that the dressing room needs vocal leadership. It was a trait that was missing from his previous tenure with the club and is an attribute every top team should have these qualities.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Lampard commented. “That’s my synopsis after six weeks, the basics that I keep talking about – standards are so relevant to this club at the minute. Standards collectively have dropped – I can be honest about that as it’s my last game and I might not see some of them that much anyway!

“Standards as a collective for a club like Chelsea have to be at the maximum or you won’t be physically competitive enough, or you won’t be able to play at a high level, high speed the Premier League demands.

“If you’re not together in the dressing room and vocal in the dressing room, and driving each other and competitive because ‘I want your place and you want mine’… Every top team has to have that.

“When I came in, very quickly I could see that wasn’t there enough. Of course a very good manager can help that but everyone has to take responsibility.”

Patience Needed for Pochettino’s Chelsea Project

Lampard expressed his admiration for Pochettino as a manager, stating that he is a big fan and considers him to be very talented. The Chelsea legend pointed out the Argentine’s successful track record, highlighting his ability to work effectively at clubs of similar stature to Chelsea.

Pochettino’s expertise in creating a solid team identity should help him deliver victories at Stamford Bridge. However, Lampard cautioned against expecting immediate results, as building a winning team and establishing a strong identity takes time and patience.

“I’m a big fan of Pochettino as a manager, I think he’s a very good manager, but it’s not about which individual it might be, it’s about getting the right high level of manager,” Lampard shared after the 1-1 draw.

“Pochettino’s history tells you he works at clubs of this sort of level and then letting him get to work with the players he creates a solid identity in a team that can win more games. Those things aren’t always overnight things, so we have to be careful with expectations a little bit.”

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