Roman Abramovich and Chelsea should stick with Frank Lampard and give him time to integrate his summer signings and playing style.
That's the verdict of former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy, who has defended Lampard amid criticism after the Blues' poor run of results.
After three defeats in their last five league games, Chelsea have slipped to ninth in the Premier League, with the Blues now 11 points behind leaders Manchester United at the halfway stage of the season.
As a result, Chelsea now face a battle to qualify for European football next season, with the Blues currently five points behind Liverpool in fourth and three behind sixth-placed Everton, who have two games in hand.
The Blues' form, coming after spending more than £200million in the summer, has led to questions over Lampard's future as Chelsea head coach, but Murphy says the club legend deserves more time.
"Frank Lampard isn’t tinkering for the sake of it. He’s trying to find the right balance and anyone who knows football understands it can take a large part of the season to integrate so many new players," he said, writing in a column for the Daily Mail.
"Chelsea have a reputation for not giving managers time. I think they should give Frank time and from his point of view he has to follow his beliefs and pick teams that will win him games, regardless of the price tag of players, or pressure from fans or even the boardroom.
"I’ve known him a long time and know he has that strength of character."
Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel has been linked as a potential replacement for Lampard, with the German now out of work after leaving the Ligue 1 club last month.
After beating Luton Town in the FA Cup fourth round, Chelsea face Wolves in the Premier League in midweek, before facing Burnley, Tottenham and Sheffield United in a crucial run of league games before the fifth round tie against Barnsley.
