A new dawn has arrived at Chelsea under Roman Abramovich and Frank Lampard has timed his return to the club as exquisitely as when he was a player arriving in the box.
Behind the nuisance of a transfer ban, there has been a resounding excitement surrounding Lampard’s return thanks to a combination of his legendary status and a relief from the stands - not to mention many of the first team - at the convenient nature of his predecessor Maurizio Sarri’s departure.
Despite fans grumbling about the Italian’s monotonous style of play, Sarri appeared to begrudgingly tweak his approach mid-season once winning the Europa League became more alluring. His success in Baku, not to mention stretching champions Manchester City in two of their three meetings last season, may have begrudgingly extended their relationship were it not for Juventus calling for the former Napoli boss to shake things up in Turin.
Abramovich has enjoyed unprecedented success since his arrival in 2003 and despite tolerating a continued failure to be entertained by his team’s style of play, a glut of trophies in that time has established the Blues as the most prolific winners in the country. An absence of an obvious style or philosophy seems to have always grated with the Russian, even though the club’s hardened mentality, longevity and ability to recycle their team, squeezing everything out of a squad before being forced to reset, has been admirable.
Lampard initial impact has been built around relentless pressing: again, with favourable timing, Eden Hazard’s departure to Real Madrid, while depriving the Blues of a world class talent, has enabled Lampard to fully impose his beliefs without compromising the system for the understandable tradeoff for the Belgian’s magic.
Hazard’s departure is important as it finally breaks Abramovich’s stubbornness in resisting the urge to profit on his team’s protagonists when Europe’s biggest clubs have circled unlike their domestic rivals. While that approach extended the window for Chelsea to compete for trophies, it also denied them the possibility of a full reset to pursue and ultimately strive for something more organic and more satisfying.
That ought to finally establish a conveyer belt from their esteemed academy, particularly as Lampard has surrounded himself with those fully aware of the talent at their disposal, such as former academy coaches Jody Morris and Joe Edwards.
There is Tammy Abraham’s failure to hide this pre-season, assuming Hazard’s penalty responsibility, Reece James’ potential as Lampard’s right-back over Cesar Azpilicueta and Davide Zappacosta, as well as Callum Hudson-Odoi’s evident brilliance when he returns from injury.
The club will also desperately hope their new boss can shape Mason Mount into Lampard 2.0 as the youngster vies with Ross Barkley for a starting role.
Mount, an elegant player who holds Gareth Southgate as an admirer, could help address another problem that has rankled at Stamford Bridge over the years: a willingness from the neutral to celebrate his side
The immediate lure from outside will be what appears to be a fragile backline, which has shipped eight goals in the last three pre-season matches, combined with the evident appetite to outscore opponents with 11 goals in that same spell. But a consequence of increased consideration of academy players will help the club assume an obvious role in helping the national team continue its ascension.
City’s recent precision at utilising their financial muscle aside, the way Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino have been rightly lauded despite a lack of silverware (before Madrid in Klopp’s case) also bodes well for Lampard.
The potential upside of Lampard’s timing should not obscure the obvious difficulties for a novice manager. But, finally after 16 years, even if less does prove to be more, Lampard may deliver what Abramovich wanted all along.
