Can Lampard utilise youth over experience for the 2019/20 campaign?
Sometimes it’s the case that it’s not till your hand is forced that you get around to doing something. And in the case of Chelsea, their transfer ban which prevents them from signing anyone for the next two windows may just be something of a blessing in disguise; it might finally result in them fielding youngsters.
After all, they haven’t really regularly fielded an academy player, much less had one become a fan’s favourite since…John Terry.
Frank Lampard
Lampard must feel a little hard done by. Ever since Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea, every full-time manager has had plenty of money to buy such expensive world-class players as Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Arjen Robben, Eden Hazard and Willian, to name but a few. Chelsea’s all-time leading goalscorer won’t be able to buy anyone. Worse still, he lost Hazard and Alvaro Morata in the off-season.
To be fair to Lampard, last season he fielded a nice blend of youth and experience. Ranging from old pros like his old mate Ashley Cole (38), Richard Keogh (32) and Tom Huddlestone (32) to youngsters like Fikayo Tomori (21) and Jayden Bogle (18); all these started the pplay-off final.
What system might Lampard use?
Last year it was mostly a 4-4-2 with two out-and-out strikers but it’s somewhat unlikely he’ll persist with that at Chelsea. It’s not unusual for teams in the Championship to play the old-fashioned system with success but it doesn’t happen often in the Premier League these days. Of the teams in the top division last season only Burnley, Bournemouth and at times Southampton played with two up top. And that was only some of the time and let’s face it, with limited success.
Not only is it a system unlikely to yield good results but he might face ridicule for being ‘out of touch’ if he did play it, both domestically and in Europe.
A more likely scenario would be that he plays the ubiquitous 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1.
Which youngsters might get a game?
Ruben Loftus-Cheek – With over 70 Premier League appearances under his belt including some while on loan at Crystal Palace, the 23-year-old is certainly ready to be a regular. Could operate as one of the three in midfield or in the three supporting the loan striker.
Calum-Hudson Odoi – Not only is he a rare talent who can operate as a forward or winger, he’s also out of contract in the summer. How much he plays this season could be the difference between putting pen to paper on a long-term deal or leaving on a free, with Bayern Munich among his many admirers.
Tammy Abraham – The 21-year old had an excellent season at Aston Villa last term, scoring 25 goals in 38 league appearances. Tall, strong and able to hold the ball up well, he could play in a front two alongside one of the experienced duo of Olivier Giroud or Michi Batshuayi, as an ‘impact sub’ off the bench or in Cup games as the target man.
Christian Pulisic – You don’t splash out £58 million on a player to leave him on the bench, do you? Despite being only 20, the other reason Pulisic may get a lot more game time than some of the others on this list is that he’s already played a heck of a lot of football in one of the toughest leagues out there during his three seasons at Dortmund. A natural replacement for Hazard on that left wing.
What can the fans expect?
As mentioned already, Lampard wasn’t afraid to give youth a chance at Derby. So the smart money is on him regularly including Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi in his best starting XI alongside far more experienced stars such as Giroud, Luiz, Jorginho and Kante with the others (plus ones we haven’t mentioned like Conor Gallagher and George McEachran) being used more sparingly, either off the bench or in the domestic cups.
Either way, it’s going to be a tough season for Lampard all around. There’s the obvious factor of this being his first-ever season of Premier League management (and just his second at any level), plus the weight of expectation resulting from his time at the club as a player.
Then there’s the Hazard factor. The little Belgian carried the team for season after season, often being the one creating something out of nothing or actually scoring the big goals. In normal circumstances they would have bought a big-name and experienced player to replace him but of course, they can’t.
Check out Premier League betting to see how Chelsea are, at best, fancied to contend for a Top Four spot. Anything better than that would be a huge bonus.
