2021/22 Frank Lampard

[Neiler]

I don't think that's it. The away performances have been like this from the start, last night was a worse scoreline but the performance level wasn't much different than Newcastle or Southampton. It's the default position for people to take but I don't buy it.

I disagree mate, its a clear trend with this group of players, every clutch game, every bit of adversity, through what 5-6 managers at this stage, they melt, wilt or dont show baseline desire and application. The trend is there and has been for a number of years. I look around and see Brunley, Leeds, Brentford and Newcastle fighting for their lives - we're the outlier. You could tell last night with Frankly the penny has dropped in his interview.

I trust these players 0 to deal with the adversity ahead of them and im worried.

 

[bcblue1878]

….2 up front away from home against the better sides is almost like playing with 10 men.

Over generous Eggs, based on the two up front last night it was nine men, unfortunately also last night 7-8 of the others didn’t bother turning up either ?!

 

[bcblue1878]

DCL and Richarlison both want to occupy the same space. Richarlison has been poor and DCL has barely moved. We are playing with effectively 9 players

This, they don’t play as a two - they don’t look for each other or pass to each other, there is nothing to suggest they play together as a two at all!

 

[ToffeeTim]

Having Gray back allows us to play on the break more and not need to press as high. But that means we then need to drop DCL. We need to see Frank make the big decision and drop the big name who isn't putting in a shift. We have no time for DCL to play himself back to fitness. Rondon or Tosun would have done better than that dreadful effort last night.

I think we miss Gray a lot. He is sharp, gets into the box, and is better at linking the play than Richarlison or Gordon. If he's fit he needs to start.

 

[luuk_deventer]

I think ive counted 15 players who could be moved on with only 6 replacements needed.

Who are the 15? Van De Beek, Sigurdsson, Delph, El Ghazi, Tosun, Begovic, Lonergan will all go when their contract expires, maybe Kenny too. Gbamin, Rondon, Coleman, Keane, Gomes are all surplus but I do not think that all of those will leave.

Even if they all do, how much would we make from those? £20million and some more in wages? We would have a squad size of 17 and would need at least 6, high quality signings to replace them. I am not sure we have the £100m to spend on that.

 

[DanB90]

Last night will have been a eye opener for Frank, but it’s up to him if he continues to keep belief in his system and that the players will eventually learn, or if he starts to be more pragmatic.

The system itself wasn’t exactly the reason we lost last night, but when you’ve got Michael Keane ambling about the pitch like C-3PO against one of the deadliest attacks in the league, you’re gonna have a bad time.

 

[Lanolin]

I disagree mate, its a clear trend with this group of players, every clutch game, every bit of adversity, through what 5-6 managers at this stage, they melt, wilt or dont show baseline desire and application. The trend is there and has been for a number of years. I look around and see Brunley, Leeds, Brentford and Newcastle fighting for their lives - we're the outlier. You could tell last night with Frankly the penny has dropped in his interview.

I trust these players 0 to deal with the adversity ahead of them and im worried.

I've said it a number of times recently but 'this group of players' have absolutely not been through 5 or 6 managers. 11 of last night's squad have only really been in the first team picture since the start of last season. Yes there are one or two who've been here a while now but in the main the squad has been refreshed, just not very well.

What you're saying here is also a slightly different thing to what you said in your first post.

Personally (and i'm not saying they're all model pros who work their socks off here) I think the main issues are that we are very very low on quality, and that we have a squad put together by different people who wanted different things, and so even some of our better players don't look that good because they don't suit the role they have. That in turn leads to a lack of belief and confidence, because deep down many of them know they aren't good enough and so when they're 2-0 down away from home they lose all hope of getting back into the game. Make no mistake, nobody would surprised to see any of last night's defenders playing Championship football for the rest of their careers, it's really not surprising that they look like that's where they might be heading.

 

[Drico]

I think we've got the worst of both worlds right now: a novice manager and a team of gutless wonders.

We are, arguably, in the feared death spiral. Lampard will make or break his managerial career over the coming months.

 

[bcblue1878]

Holgate 3 yards behind the defensive line, and Coleman 5 yards away from the danger - i.e. Harry Kane

It's almost like players are making inexplicable individual errors....

Yup, you can have the best system in the world, but if the same players keep making the same inexplicable mistakes the system will fail! There’s no accounting for the particular mistakes that Coleman and Keane both made last night, then throw in Pickford diving over the ball, five mistakes - five goals!

 

[BigDuncTributeBand]

Last night will have been a eye opener for Frank, but it’s up to him if he continues to keep belief in his system and that the players will eventually learn, or if he starts to be more pragmatic.

The system itself wasn’t exactly the reason we lost last night, but when you’ve got Michael Keane ambling about the pitch like C-3PO against one of the deadliest attacks in the league, you’re gonna have a bad time.

Southampton wasn’t an eye opener for him because he tried the same game plan v Spurs so tends to suggest he’ll keep belief in his system.

It’s not just Michael Keane, if only. The midfield three were all over the place, could have driven a convoy of double decker busses right through the centre of the pitch every time we turned the ball over. That would make it difficult for any defence and for ours…well you saw how they coped.

 

[AsiaAsia82]

We need massive fan performances in the next 2 games.

 

[DanB90]

Southampton wasn’t an eye opener for him because he tried the same game plan v Spurs so tends to suggest he’ll keep belief in his system.

It’s not just Michael Keane, if only. The midfield three were all over the place, could have driven a convoy of double decker busses right through the centre of the pitch every time we turned the ball over. That would make it difficult for any defence and for ours…well you saw how they coped.

I know it’s not just Keane. I was just using him as an example. Could’ve named nearly every single player from last night as a reason we didn’t get anything from the game.

 

[Egil Olsen]

Last night will have been a eye opener for Frank, but it’s up to him if he continues to keep belief in his system and that the players will eventually learn, or if he starts to be more pragmatic.

The system itself wasn’t exactly the reason we lost last night, but when you’ve got Michael Keane ambling about the pitch like C-3PO against one of the deadliest attacks in the league, you’re gonna have a bad time.

This is what is surprising to me. A new manager should be aware in advance of the players' strengths and weaknesses, and gather as much information as possible about the players. Based on this, he should compose a system that fits the whole. There are some standards a manager can never deviate from, and that applies to the basics.

Many of the players in this club have repeatedly, and with several managers, just not lived up to these standards. However, they gain trust time and time again. Then the manager has set the standard for the others in the group as well. It's a vicious circle.

I suspect that one constantly rewards reputation, and perceived quality, instead of effort. For how can players get away with these achievements, and be in the starting lineup for the next match? Maybe Dobbin does not have the same status as DCL, or skills per. today, but I bet he'll run for his life if he gets the chance. This is where we as a club must start, rewarding those who live up to the minimum standard.

 

[BigDuncTributeBand]

Yup, you can have the best system in the world, but if the same players keep making the same inexplicable mistakes the system will fail! There’s no accounting for the particular mistakes that Coleman and Keane both made last night, then throw in Pickford diving over the ball, five mistakes - five goals!

True but the set up increases the chances of errors being made. Leaving an already weak defence exposed and with no protection in front puts massive pressure on every defensive challenge/decision/action. Asking for trouble with this lot.

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

I think we've got the worst of both worlds right now: a novice manager and a team of gutless wonders.

We are, arguably, in the feared death spiral. Lampard will make or break his managerial career over the coming months.

Yep that's the gamble.

We need massive fan performances in the next 2 games.

Be down to the fans again just like Wimbledon all those years ago and no i was not present was on the way to work,, but did and emergency stop in the road and got out of the car and behaved as if i was there, much to the amusement of many...