2022/23 Frank Lampard

[Saint Domingo]

People having a whinge because systemic errors of the last 5 or 6 years haven’t been fixed by one FFP constrained transfer window.

Didn’t McNeil hit the winner against Southampton, and was inches away from a derby winner.

Maupay the same against West Ham and also should have scored the winner v Liverpool.

If we cut the sloppiness out we’ll probably finish mid table in the bottom half. If anyone is expecting Lampard to do loads better than this then expectations probably need to be revised.

Look at the problems Rodgers is having even with Tielemans Barnes Maddison Vardy. These are all far better offensive players than what we have.

We just do not at the moment have the squad to compete at the top end of the PL. the remit for this season was always about staying up safely, continuing the balance the books, flush out deadwood, and allow further improvements in the future transfer windows.

 

[kenada_blue]

I’m not talking about fans ‘turning’, I’m talking about it a lot harder to say ‘everything’s fine, we’ve really improved, we’re going to surprise people’ etc when you’re sitting in the bottom 3. It’s not a particularly controversial view.

Cross that bridge when were in the bottom 3, when Forest, Leicester, Leeds, Wolves, Villa, Southampton all put 3 or 4 wins together and we don't win a single game in that time.


Meanwhile... we're doing fine. Light years ahead of last season under some people's favourite Spanish Kopite

 

[kenada_blue]

People having a whinge because systemic errors of the last 5 or 6 years haven’t been fixed by one FFP constrained transfer window.

Didn’t McNeil hit the winner against Southampton, and was inches away from a derby winner.

Maupay the same against West Ham and also should have scored the winner v Liverpool.

If we cut the sloppiness out we’ll probably finish mid table in the bottom half. If anyone is expecting Lampard to do loads better than this then expectations probably need to be revised.

Look at the problems Rodgers is having even with Tielemans Barnes Maddison Vardy. These are all far better offensive players than what we have.

We just do not at the moment have the squad to compete at the top end of the PL. the remit for this season was always about staying up safely, continuing the balance the books, flush out deadwood, and allow further improvements in the future transfer windows.

Nah mate it's about finishing top 10 after scraping relegation

 

[gazzaa2]

We are onto the same level as Spurs. They are chasing top six we are competing for a mid table position. We are five years behind them. People need to get real, if we can get tenth this year that is some improvement.

After last season we'll take top 10 but we can aim for a bit higher. It's a poor league beyond 4 or 5 teams. Even Liverpool are done now and are catchable this year and we were above them for most of 20/21 before a late collapse. We need to be getting back to that level.

 

[Nymzee]

After last season we'll take top 10 but we can aim for a bit higher. It's a poor league beyond 4 or 5 teams. Even Liverpool are done now and are catchable this year and we were above them for most of 20/21 before a late collapse. We need to be getting back to that level.

Whilst the league is poor, so are we. Anyone getting mad if we don’t finish Top 10 needs a reality check. We’re 2/3rds of the way through a rebuild. Defense looks solid, midfield is solid, attack - which we tried to strengthen - is weak.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Cross that bridge when were in the bottom 3, when Forest, Leicester, Leeds, Wolves, Villa, Southampton all put 3 or 4 wins together and we don't win a single game in that time.


Meanwhile... we're doing fine. Light years ahead of last season under some people's favourite Spanish Kopite

There’s cautionary tales across all those teams. Villa especially are going to be in a world of pain given what they’ve spent recently. It just shows that there is no scenario where a manager comes in and takes a bottom half team and immediately has them challenging the top 6 consistently and maintains it. The odd flash from a team for one season or two maybe but then they’re inevitably back in the bottom before too long.

The only way to get there is what we did under Moyes with sensible building of foundations and gradual improvement hey as soon as any manager loses two games some fans just give up on a project entirely.

 

[gazzaa2]

Whilst the league is poor, so are we. Anyone getting mad if we don’t finish Top 10 needs a reality check. We’re 2/3rds of the way through a rebuild. Defense looks solid, midfield is solid, attack - which we tried to strengthen - is weak.

Lampard needs backing properly in January. If he's given the money to sign more quality in attack then we'll push on and could make a play for a European place. As we are we're a mid table side.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Nah mate it's about finishing top 10 after scraping relegation

The top 6, Leicester, Villa, Newcastle, West Ham, Wolves all probably have better squads than us. We’re probably on a par with Palace who have better forwards than us but probably not as good at the back. So somewhere around 13/14th which is probably where I expect us to finish.

 

[Lanolin]

Cross that bridge when were in the bottom 3, when Forest, Leicester, Leeds, Wolves, Villa, Southampton all put 3 or 4 wins together and we don't win a single game in that time.


Meanwhile... we're doing fine. Light years ahead of last season under some people's favourite Spanish Kopite

Either you haven’t looked at the table for a while or maths isn’t your strong point. Leeds are one point behind us with 2 games in hand, they don’t need to put 4 wins together to catch us.

As I said, there’s no need to panic and I’m not talking about sackings etc, I’m just trying to be realistic about where we’re up to. Personally I think some people are overstating how much we’ve improved but the next few games are a good opportunity to prove me wrong and I’ll be made up if they do.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Lampard needs backing properly in January. If he's given the money to sign more quality in attack then we'll push on and could make a play for a European place. As we are we're a mid table side.

We are nowhere near pushing for Europe and its unhelpful for fans to have that sort of level of expectations

 

[kenada_blue]

Either you haven’t looked at the table for a while or maths isn’t your strong point. Leeds are one point behind us with 2 games in hand, they don’t need to put 4 wins together to catch us.

As I said, there’s no need to panic and I’m not talking about sackings etc, I’m just trying to be realistic about where we’re up to. Personally I think some people are overstating how much we’ve improved but the next few games are a good opportunity to prove me wrong and I’ll be made up if they do.

It's 10 games in. Talking about "games in hand" and being overtaken can easily switch.

You put 3 wins together...you're top 10. That's how the league works. Was only last week a win against United put us above the RS. And West Ham were about 2nd bottom who have now got level on points with us after 2 wins.

We're 4 points from top 7 and 3 points from bottom 3.

 

[Neiler]

The real test of our fans faith in Lampard was always coming when we could loose three on the trot. Everything before this was just drinking the Kool Aide.

I said months ago this season will be boom and bust, he’s a developing manager and we need to give him three years to develop with him and build. Highs and lows in that, that need to be embraced. Neither getting to high nor to low and dealing with each game as a process not an event.

Ultimately now if we get beaten on Weds, people will start shifting in their seats and change will be tempting for a few.

My take, change has been a depleting factor at this club for far to long. We badly need to stick.

 

[Saint Domingo]

After last season we'll take top 10 but we can aim for a bit higher. It's a poor league beyond 4 or 5 teams. Even Liverpool are done now and are catchable this year and we were above them for most of 20/21 before a late collapse. We need to be getting back to that level.

20/21 we were being managed by one of the greatest managers of all time and had James Rodriguez Richarlison and a fit DCL as our forward line. Yerry Mina also stayed for for long periods of that season and we had Godfrey available.

It’s a completely different team and manager now so we can’t base anything from that form. Especially upfront. Gray Maupay McNeill is about as far away as you can get from Richarlison Calvert Lewin James. We also had Siggurdson Bernard and Iwobi on the bench as backup options.

We need to stay in the league this season, resolve the Gordon and Calvert Lewin situations this summer and then revamp the front line completely.

 

[LocalNative]

The real test of our fans faith in Lampard was always coming when we could loose three on the trot. Everything before this was just drinking the Kool Aide.

I said months ago this season will be boom and bust, he’s a developing manager and we need to give him three years to develop with him and build. Highs and lows in that, that need to be embraced. Neither getting to high nor to low and dealing with each game as a process not an event.

Ultimately now if we get beaten on Weds, people will start shifting in their seats and change will be tempting for a few.

My take, change has been a depleting factor at this club for far to long. We badly need to stick.

Why do we ‘need’ to give him three years? I’m not a fan of the manager merry-go-round but what has Lampard done in his career to warrant the patience we haven’t shown in any other manager?

That performance yesterday was no different to any under Benitez. It wasn’t 5-0 yesterday but we still got battered and left with zero points.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Why do we ‘need’ to give him three years? I’m not a fan of the manager merry-go-round but what has Lampard done in his career to warrant the patience we haven’t shown in any other manager?

That performance yesterday was no different to any under Benitez. It wasn’t 5-0 yesterday but we still got battered and left with zero points.

He kept us up when we are in a hole and sinking fast.

People don't realise how good a job he did because they hugely overrate our players and the underestimate the damage done under the former manager.

Its fashionable to call out Lampard but he'll leave us in a far better position than when he took over. Of that I have no doubt.