EPL: Frank Lampard is a plan horribly gone wrong

When Frank Lampard was re-appointed by Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali to replace the sacked Graham Potter until the end of the season, the expectations were low.

The hope was that Lampard’s return would bring positive energy to dispel the gloom around Stamford Bridge and push Chelsea past Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Even if they didn’t progress, Lampard’s institutional knowledge would provide stability while the club searched for a new permanent head coach.

Unfortunately, Lampard’s re-hiring has failed on every front.

Chelsea has lost all five matches, scored only one goal, and the season has flatlined.

The Champions League is gone, morale at the training complex is low, and only Lampard’s legendary status has insulated him from the anger directed at his predecessor.

Mauricio Pochettino’s leverage in talks to succeed Potter is being bolstered every time Chelsea takes to the pitch.

The clamour from some supporters for the new boss to come in before the end of the season is not realistic.

Enthusiasm for being parachuted into Cobham days before a Champions League quarter-final with holders Real Madrid was always limited among Chelsea’s list of candidates.

As the scale of the damage becomes clearer with every subsequent loss, why would anyone else choose to be tainted by association with this season?

Lampard did accept the potential boost to his reputation of reviving Chelsea’s flagging campaign and the professional risk of failing to do so.

But the five defeats have worn on his demeanour, and his game plan against Brentford did not scream belief.

Despite this, Lampard is defiant.

“I’m very proud to manage here and I’ve been in similar situations,” Lampard said.

“I came here in a difficult moment before and we had big success in my first year. I went to Everton, I had a challenge to stay in the league, I stayed in the league.”

He persisted with his formation that made Madrid uncomfortable for a while in the second leg but failed to account for the fact that Brentford does not play like the reigning champions.

Lampard’s introductions of Mykhailo Mudryk and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the interval at least enabled Chelsea to look like a purposeful attacking team with the ball, but it was too little too late.

Chelsea’s remaining six fixtures are tough, with matches against all of the current top four and two sides fighting relegation.

It’s hard to see where the points will come from when even goals appear beyond this team.

Pochettino is the most proven candidate left on Chelsea’s shortlist and clearly the preferred choice.

Boehly and Eghbali would be wise to rubber-stamp that agreement sooner rather than later.

In his post-match media duties, Lampard said he was not worried about the short term, but he wanted to win games.

He understood the problems as to why they were not winning games, and he knew that belief took time and work. But the problem was that his game plan did not exactly scream belief either.

The season has been excruciating for Chelsea, with hits to their credibility, and Boehly and Eghbali cannot afford for the most proven candidate to walk away.

There is confidence on all sides that Pochettino will be Potter’s permanent successor, but Chelsea’s priority now is to end the season on a high note, regroup, and come back stronger next season.