Last thing in the world I want I can assure you.
You have that mindset not me. I get behind managers.
Let’s be completely honest here. There was zero wrong with Lampard’s tactics against Southampton. We started off well, had control of the ball, they didn’t look a threat. That’s job done in my view from a tactical element and then you are looking for whether your forward players can make something happen, and whether your defenders don’t make mistakes. We were unbelievably sloppy at both ends, then when Allan goes off Gomes coms on and it’s clown time at the back and the game is lost.
Yes there was lots of hatred towards the players but the criticism still came towards the manager as well, even after 4 games two of which he’s won.
There’s a very predictable progression that occurs and even in its infancy you can’t call it out as people don’t want the alternative.
As soon as we start losing games it starts off with ‘should be playing x formation’ ‘not making subs at the right time’ ‘should be playing x instead of Y’
Then after a while these opinions become evidence based patterns of a managers limitations and the rumblings start that x manager wouldn’t play this way, y manager makes subs earlier, z manager is progressive and more hands on coaching, this manager has more experience, followed by the classic ‘we should have gone for that’. A few losses later and people are convinced we appointed them wrong manager and want him out.
When it comes to the two choices though of backing a manager for a multi year overhaul regardless of short term pain, or just spinning the dice on a new manager who might play a different formation or different players, the same section of the fan base always screams for option B because it’s cheaper, easier, and quicker.
Except we’re five managers in and 6 years later and option B still hasn’t worked.
It’s one thing to comment that there were some things in game Lampard maybe could have done better, but 4 games in two of which we’ve won these should be utterly minor comments. Instead they gather pace with every game we don’t win.
The only option available to us is the one you’ve laid out, get safe, turf these players out, rebuild next season to be mid table and take it from there. Questions about Lampard might be legitimate in that third season if he’s not able to progress from there, but really before then he’s dealing with absolute muck and will be doing a good job indeed if he can keep this ship steady. We should be 100% behind following this pathway and supporting Lampard in removing these toxic players.
We won’t be though, some of the fanbase still consider us to be a new manager and a formation change away from europe at any given point. If we’re mid table next season they’ll be questioning Frank no doubt in my mind. Just no patience to see through the job that has been needed at this club ever since Koemaggedon.