Frank Lampard believes a love-hate mentality, fuelled by social media and akin to politics, is behind the whirlwind nature of managerial changes in the Premier League and that the situation will calm down only if expectations of those in the dugout become more “reasonable”.
Twelve permanent managers in the top flight have been sacked this season, starting with Scott Parker by Bournemouth in August through to Graham Potter by Chelsea this month. On Monday came the dismissal of a caretaker manager when Cristian Stellini left Tottenham after only four games.
Lampard is on his second job in three months having returned to Stamford Bridge on an interim basis after his sacking in January by Everton. He is the fourth man to take charge of the team during this campaign and looks set to be replaced in the summer by Mauricio Pochettino, a former Spurs manager. All in all, it is a bewildering state of affairs.
“The landscape has changed,” said Lampard, who revealed Reece James and Mason Mount were likely to miss Chelsea’s final seven games because of injury. “We’ve maybe lost sight of alignment and expectations. Some of it has been fast-tracked by social media. It’s a bit like politics: you either hate something or you love it, you’re not allowed to be in between, and that feeds into football. You’re winning games and we love you, but [you lose games] and we hate you, and suddenly there’s pressure.
“It is what it is but it’s certainly at a point now where it’s more frequent and that’s down to that general desire and need for results. It’s a case of making sure we get the balance right of what is reasonable expectations [for managers] and what isn’t.”
There are no great expectations on Lampard after four successive defeats since he replaced Potter, via Bruno Saltor, that included exiting the Champions League at the quarter-final stage. Nevertheless he is determined to earn as many points as possible between now and 28 May, starting on Wednesday with the west London derby against Brentford.
He will have to do so, however, without two of his brightest homegrown talents. James strained a hamstring in the 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid last week and Mount is to undergo surgery on a long-standing pelvic issue. “It is probably a four-week recovery,” Lampard said of Mount.
It is possible Mount has played his last game for Chelsea given he remains in a stand‑off regarding a new contract. The 24-year-old midfielder’s deal expires at the end of the next season and it appears increasingly likely he will depart in the summer, with Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester United among those interested.
Lampard insisted he had no idea whether Mount would stay – “It’s a conversation between Mason and the club” – but he is certain a player to whom he gave a Chelsea debut during his first spell as manager and who has made more than 100 appearances for the team, helping them win the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup, will be an asset for whoever he represents next season.
“People forget the consistency Mason has shown since he broke through,” said Lampard, who also managed Mount at Derby. “There has been a drop in form [this season] – that is understandable, every player has it in their developing years – but there is no doubt for me that Mason is a top-class player in what he brings with and without possession.”
The injuries to Mount and James would also prove a blow for Gareth Southgate should they be ruled out of England’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia in mid-June.
