The exits of Eden Hazard, David Luiz and Gary Cahill along with their ongoing transfer ban has certainly made Chelsea a weaker side this season. Frank Lampard’s Premier League debut as a manager ended in a forgettable fashion as their trip to Old Trafford saw them ship four goals.
The Blues started the game on the front foot but lack of defensive organization and creativity hurt them throughout the game. Lampard used a few of his youngsters in the first team in that game but might not stick to them after the outing in Manchester. But how can Chelsea hit back?
Here are three things Frank Lampard needs to address right away, to make sure that they do not play catch up for the rest of the campaign:
Defensive Organization
One of the biggest issues for Chelsea at the moment is the lack of experienced centre backs in the squad. Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma are the only fit senior defenders at the club and neither was a regular in the first team before the start of this campaign.
Both of them are able defenders but they will need the full-backs and the defensive midfielders to offer more cover under pressure. Zouma was exposed all too often in the 4-0 loss and the fact that they cannot buy a replacement any time soon means that Lampard needs to make sure that his system is defensively secure. If they do not work on it, Kepa Arrizabalaga could have a tough season ahead.
The return of Antonio Rudiger will help things to an extent but he cannot do it all on his own in a long and arduous season.
Find The Right Midfield Combination
Lampard used different formations in pre-season. This meant that he could give minutes to all possible midfield combinations. Against United, the manager stuck with Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic, as N’Golo Kante was just back from a small injury lay-off. The Frenchman is expected to be the first choice when fit, but this leaves Lampard with a decision to make.
Jorginho and Kante in a 4-2-3-1 system could make Chelsea all too defensive while using Kovacic as well in a 4-3-3 leaves them devoid of much creativity. Kante and Kovacic have different approaches to their midfield duties and have not played together all too often. The balance of the side or the firepower of the opponent, whatever decides Lampard’s midfield will be crucial for Chelsea to make any kind of a statement in their hunt for a place in the top-4 this season.
Blend Of Youth And Experience
The former Derby County manager used Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham in two of the four attacking roles at Old Trafford. Both players had their moments but were hardly seen shouldering the responsibility of keeping the pressure on United.
Chelsea have another winger in Christian Pulisic, who is also new to the Premier League. Pedro, Willian and Giroud are the only experienced attackers at the club while Ross Barkley could add numbers to the attacking roles. So it will be interesting to see if Lampard sticks to youth or falls back upon experience to get him out of this rough start.
But for the rest of the season, finding the right combinations between youth and experience will be crucial for their chances.
