In a game Frank Lampard needed to win to alleviate the growing pressure at Chelsea, he took the significant step of leaving the club’s biggest two summer signings out of the first XI. Was it a show of strength or asking for trouble?
Lampard has had a few of his managerial attributes questioned in some quarters of late following a run of three defeats in four games this month, but no one can doubt his bravery against Aston Villa.
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It was a big call to name Germany internationals Timo Werner and Kai Havertz on the substitutes bench even if there were mitigating and understandable circumstances.
Werner, who had started every Premier League game up to this point, has been looking tired and short of confidence following a run of 10 matches without a goal. Meanwhile, Havertz, who has not started the last three league matches, has suffered from the after effects of contracting COVID-19 as well as struggling to adapt to the Premier League.
Lampard could also rightly argue that, on form, neither man is playing well enough to merit a place in his side. They were still given a chance to change the game late on too as they were brought on with 18 minutes to go, but Aston Villa held on to a 1-1 draw fairly comfortably.
The question is: what does Roman Abramovich think? When the owner sanctioned the club spending more than £100 million on their signatures in the last window, one can assume the multi-billionaire did not expect they would be watching important fixtures from the sidelines.
This is a different scenario to what has taken place with Kepa Arrizabalaga. Lampard has already made a strong call, which was backed by the powers-that-be, to replace the world’s most expensive goalkeeper with a new arrival in Edouard Mendy.
Kepa’s deteriorating displays and the fact he was not Lampard’s signing — the Spaniard was brought in when Maurizio Sarri was at the helm — meant allowances could be made. But Havertz and Werner moved to Chelsea on Lampard’s watch and with his blessing.
Managers will always be judged by Abramovich on results first, but history shows how they have been held to account for not making expensive marquee signings work too.
For example, the acquisition of Andriy Shevchenko from AC Milan for £30.8 million in 2006 led to tension behind the scenes, as Jose Mourinho failed to get the best out of the Ukrainian during the final 13 months of his first spell at Stamford Bridge.
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Similarly, the declining fortunes of Fernando Torres, who joined from Liverpool for a club-record £50 million in January 2011, was a contributory factor in the downfall of Chelsea coaches Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Di Matteo.
The latter took the courageous step of leaving Torres out of a must-not-lose Champions League group game at Juventus and selected Eden Hazard as a false No 9 instead. Chelsea lost 3-0, failed to qualify for the last 16 for the first time in their history and the Italian was sacked the next morning.
Lampard should still have a lot of credit in the bank for what he achieved last season. Chelsea got into the top four with a squad that was not his own. The former England international was not able to make transfers due to a one-window ban and took the notable step of giving academy youngsters their senior debuts, using a handful on a regular basis.
However, the hierarchy could turnaround and wonder why after investing more than £200 million in new signings — Mendy, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva (free agent) also joined in the last window — the club have amassed three points fewer than at the same stage last year.
It should not be forgotten that Chelsea were in a very good state just three weeks ago. They had gone 17 games unbeaten in all competitions, finished top of their Champions League group and an impressive 3-1 victory over Leeds briefly took them to the top of the Premier League. The fixture list is also more intense due to the impact COVID-19 had on the schedule and Chelsea had no pre-season to work on systems and tactics with the new personnel.
But Lampard knows from his 13 years as a Chelsea player, of which 11 were under Abramovich, that being in charge of the west London club can be one of the harshest environments to work in. Patience is in short supply.
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Chelsea have now picked up just four points from their last five games. Their total of 26 after 16 matches is the second-worst of the Abramovich era, with only Mourinho’s dramatic fall from grace in 2015-16 ranking lower.
The pressure is starting to show. Lampard has looked a nervous and tense figure during games of late. One source has told The Athletic that “he lost it” while delivering the half-time team talk at Arsenal on December 26.
To be fair, given the way Chelsea had played to find themselves 2-0 down, he had every right. Another insider remarked how certain individuals were rebuked in front of the group for their performance in the opening 45 minutes at the Emirates Stadium. Unfortunately, the strong words did not pay off as the visitors went on to lose 3-1.
Lampard will be confident that he can turn this around. It was not that long ago Chelsea were being talked about as possible title contenders and the struggle for consistency is being shared throughout the division, which again perhaps highlights how this is an extraordinary campaign where twists and turns are the norm.
But the wins need to come soon to silence the inevitable speculation, ideally with Havertz and Werner playing a major role on the pitch.
