2021/22 Frank Lampard

[BlueToff]

Has lampard now got the worst record in this stretch of games than any other manager we've had during this carousel?

if he goes on 1 win in 14 like his predecessor then yes. But we'll also have been relegated.

 

[KenyonLedford]

For what?

Spirit, and is still better than any option. Gets the ball upfield and can move it into the box

 

[Baggzio]

If he'd have been sacked a month before then we'd be in a much better place.

And that's while acknowledging that the last two games have been utterly atrocious and that Lampard takes his fair share of the stick for that too.

This is the issue. Let's be honest if Lampard had lets say 5 extra games to lose, which we did anyway, he'd have seen a lot more out of this team and known who he could trust and who he could not going into a vital part of the season. He also would've had a full January to get any player he could to improve instead of literally a bloody day of panic to get anyone at all. Also we wouldn't have ended up with El Ghazi taking up a loan spot for literally no reason.

The unfortunate thing now is Lampard needs results when he's only just figuring out the team itself, he can't take risks. For example maybe he wants to have Branthwaite in the team instead of Michael Keane but he can't justify dropping an England international in favour of a kid when we're desperate for any point we can get, same with Patterson and Coleman, who's the club captain. He can't play Dele who hasn't had much of a chance yet to show anything because the team is so imbalanced as is, adding someone who's perceived to not work hard makes it worse despite the fact that barely anyone in this team works hard already. His hands are tied in a way because he knows he has to play his "strongest" 11 on paper and that's the same losers that got us into this mess to begin with.

He's not without blame like you say and he's definitely got things wrong but at the end of the day he's definitely not in an envious position.

 

[Swagger]

It was the first disappointing performance in the league at home under Lampard. Let's see how we get on against Newcastle. People tend to over analyse games. There were few chances in the game, we didn't take our couple and they scored with a header and defended very well. I agree with everyone in that the second half performance was very disappointing. That said, there's often too much credit after a win, too much criticism after a loss. Away form is a huge concern but there's still time.

 

[gwladysnight]

Sure your not mate

Look at the job Howe was doing before he got a huge injection of transfer funds in January, they couldn’t buy a win and got turfed out the FA Cup by a League One side on home soil

Lampard brought in Ali for a fee that could reach £40m and Van De Beek who United paid £36m for. So don't pretend we didn't recruit in January.

 

[mccole]

As a manager, he can't accept this level of football but ultimately he has to work with it.

We don't have midfield creativity so looking for a ball into feet then turning and looking up is on a hiding to nothing so he has to make the midfield busy, aggressive and work. We hold our own there and fight for every 2nd ball.

Lampard has to put some confidence in his centre backs and I know we hate them all but so do we, it's what we have and we have to go with it. Be it a 3 or 2, he has get back to basics and asked them to pass out when they can't or don't have the confidence/movement to do so

Full backs is a huge negative and that's saying something because Lampard has identified them as a problem:
Patterson - defensive weak
Mykolenko - strange time/not attacking
Kenny - not good enough
Coleman - legs gone

So what can he do to keep us up?

For me it's 3 steps:
1 - Find a formation and STICK with it
2 - Change the captain
3 - Work on set pieces

1 - Formation

We have weak spots all over but chopping and changing every game plus added to Cup games with cup tied players. Yes we have to tactics to match teams but under Moyes or Martinez, we knew 4-5-1 or 4-2-3-1 was the starting blocks.

Lampard is panicking over his wing backs/full backs. Patterson should be walking into this team if he was ready so if rumours of his defensive side are poor can they really be worse than Coleman or Kenny? Mykolenko is all over the place hence why Kenny is playing but he isn't wing back. Kenny and Coleman both on the same axis that is not up to the standard be it age or ability.

So if it 3 at the back, have 3 at the back who sit, squeeze the space but give to the midfield 5 quicker.

5 in midfield no wing backs. We have to win so attack from the off. Gray, Gordon, Townsend or Iwobi love the ball and if we find them early they can run into the space plus they should be working hard to recover the ball which Gordon does week in and week out so the other 3 can do this.

Allan, Doucoure and Van de Beek block that space in the middle of the park plus they can shore those lines between defence and midfield

Attack depends on DCL, IF he is fit or not. The go to is DCL and Richarlison but if DCL is out, Dele has to take his opportunity. He plays in a very No 10 role so with cover behind so he role is to attack and work off Richarlison who has the speed and movement.

2 - New Captain

Coleman is done. He doesn't need us telling him, we don't need to go over this so let's pass the baton and move forward positively with Coleman's backing.

I see 1 option - Pickford.
He commands respect and turns up so with demand the same level he does. Both popular with the fans and players and we need to hear a different voice.

Coleman can still play a part in this run in but he can't possibly be a starter based on his form and given our form, his leadership is shot to pieces. By passing the torch, it's respectful and Lampard can put his stamp on his team which previous managers haven't done.

3 - Set Pieces

They are a free roll of the dice and we just chuck every dead-ball away. We had 5 set pieces today and they led to nothing.

We have genuine height in the team but we can't find a man with no pressure on them. James showed we had so much joy last season so if we can crack a good ball in with pace and under the crossbar. It's easier said than done but we have been terrible for a while. It sounds old school and dated but that's our level.

 

[BlueStevie35]

Lampard brought in Ali for a fee that could reach £40m and Van De Beek who United paid £36m for. So don't pretend we didn't recruit in January.

We got both of them on the last day of the window, the same day Lampard signed his contract, he didn’t have an entire month to track and sign players like Howe did

 

[Lloydystark]

Hope he proves me wrong but I honestly don't think he's the right man for us. His selections don't add up and we don't look like we have a clue anymore

 

[BrendanGOT]

Hope he proves me wrong but I honestly don't think he's the right man for us. His selections don't add up and we don't look like we have a clue anymore

We always see these vague statements when the team is doing badly. Almost all our fanbase wanted Lampard in just over a month ago. There were almost riots at the idea of appointing Periera and the board back tracked when the deal was supposedly done. So this ones on the fans and now the fans aren't even willing to give him time. Do you think Periera would have done better? Or sticking with Benitez?

What selections has he got wrong? Have you seen what he has got to pick from? And if you even try to say "Patterson in for Coleman" you can get to bed. There's not one game where I've went to myself, "nah he hasn't picked the best team available to him here". Since here, not including squad players he's been missing Doucoure, Mina, DCL, Gray, Mykolenko and Godfrey at different points or still currently. He's not even been here 2 months and half the 1st teams been injured. Add to that, our squad is crap and has been suffering injuries also, its been bare bones.

 

[luuk_deventer]

In the worst case scenario, is Lampard the man to get us back up from the championship?

He did take Derby to the playoff final though, so at least he has experience of managing in that division.

There is no chance that Lampard stays if the club go down in my opinion. I think he will resign. The club would need someone more experienced to commit to such a big rebuild.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

Absolutely no chance that Lampard stays if the club go down.

Do you think he'll quit or get fired then?

 

[luuk_deventer]

Do you think he'll quit or get fired then?

Sorry, edited original post. I think he will resign, he knows that If he waits, there is a good chance he would get another Premier League opportunity sooner. Possibly with a team closer to home. Someone like Brighton, Palace or maybe Fulham who could be back in the Premier League then.

Taking a relegated team straight back up is very difficult. When it has been done before, it is usually when the nucleus of the team that was relegated stays together. That is the complete opposite to what we expect to happen. How many of the current squad will stay if we go down?

 

[terryefc]

It's back to square one where we see the same terrible players be rotated as the last lot were dropped for being crap.
Pick the best players we have and a formation that works depending on home or away.
5 at the back if we are away but not when we are at home.
Keane is flaky but he has height and can be a goal threat.
Allan is an engine but won't score. Both should have played today.
Richy is not and never will be enough as a target man when we are at home. He needed Rondon if DCL is out.
JJK is awful - Holgate isn't a CH and cannot play alongside Godfrey. He is cover for FB and that's it. Coleman is not a wing back.
So many mistakes being made.
Frank has eyes so must see what we do. He's not got much to work with but he really is making a pig's ear of selection and tactics.

 

[Lloydystark]

We always see these vague statements when the team is doing badly. Almost all our fanbase wanted Lampard in just over a month ago. There were almost riots at the idea of appointing Periera and the board back tracked when the deal was supposedly done. So this ones on the fans and now the fans aren't even willing to give him time. Do you think Periera would have done better? Or sticking with Benitez?

What selections has he got wrong? Have you seen what he has got to pick from? And if you even try to say "Patterson in for Coleman" you can get to bed. There's not one game where I've went to myself, "nah he hasn't picked the best team available to him here". Since here, not including squad players he's been missing Doucoure, Mina, DCL, Gray and Godfrey at different points or still currently. He's not even been here 2 months and half the 1st teams been injured.

I wasn't keen on the lampard appointment because of don't think he has the experience of being in charge or playing in a poor side. My opinion on the selection is obviously my opinion no rights or wrongs... for me Richarlison is either a winger or a 2 man striker who would benefit to play alongside rondon or dom. Cm's I think Allan needs to start to protect an extremely week back line. 4-5-1 or 4-2-3-1 for me defend deep and look to counter. Keane is at his best deep and has the pace of Godfrey to help beside him. Gray, Gordon,alli and richy are brilliant counter attacking players. Spurs game our tactics were dreadful worse than anything of rafas shocking spell

 

[Sheedy's right knee.]

It was the first disappointing performance in the league at home under Lampard. Let's see how we get on against Newcastle. People tend to over analyse games. There were few chances in the game, we didn't take our couple and they scored with a header and defended very well. I agree with everyone in that the second half performance was very disappointing. That said, there's often too much credit after a win, too much criticism after a loss. Away form is a huge concern but there's still time.

I thought should have swapped Gray a little earlier as he isn’t quite there in regards to match fitness. But if we stay up he will make a lot of changes and he will take the club forward.