Arsenal legend Paul Merson has urged Chelsea to remain patient with Frank Lampard.
Lampard is under intense pressure following a torrid run of form that has left the Blues in ninth position, and with whispers of the young boss getting the sack, there is a sense he needs a win against Fulham this weekend to buy himself some breathing space.
Chelsea spent more than £200million in the summer, putting increased pressure on Lampard to succeed, and 10 points off top spot before the halfway mark is not what owner Roman Abramovich will have had in mind when he dug deep into his pockets ahead of this season.
But Merson thinks Lampard deserves more time to put things right, and largely due to a lack of good options.
"If Chelsea don't beat Fulham, should they sack Frank Lampard?" Merson wrote in his Sky Sports column.
"It depends what Chelsea want this year. It's all right saying 'let's get rid of Frank' but who comes in?
"Do they go back in for Rafa Benitez? If you're going to bring in Andriy Shevchenko, what's the difference? It's the same as Lampard - he hasn't managed world-class players, and will need time.
"It's not like you can bring in a Carlo Ancelotti for a quick fix. Sooner or later, there has to be a plan at Chelsea."
Merson added: "You can't spend £200m and think you're going to win the league - it doesn't work like that.
"Lampard did a great job last year, and it's the first time he has worked with world-class players. Give him a chance."
Speaking after the Manchester City defeat last week, Lampard addressed the question of pressure over his job.
“We’re in a tough period at the moment – I played here for a long time so I understand that the minute you lose a few games in a short period of time, then everyone asks questions," he said.
"The expectations are different this year because we spent a lot of money but this club has to take some pain to get where we want to get to … I’ll always feel heat. I felt heat when we were on our good run, because I know that round the corner can be a negative.”
