Frank Lampard has been sacked as Chelsea manager after 18 months in charge and former Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel is the favourite to replace him.
After slipping to ninth in the table, Lampard leaves after winning once in his last five Premier League games and reports stating that Tuchel could be installed in time for Wednesday’s game at Wolves.
Frank Lampard Sacked as Chelsea Manager
The Rough Start
Lampard was appointed on a three-year contract when he replaced Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge in July 2019.
The former England international was appointed by Chelsea during a season-long transfer ban, which was soon reduced to six months after appeal. A bad start to the season coincided with a 4-0 defeat to Manchester United on the opening day of the season. Soon, the London based club turned around their fortunes by ending the season with Champions League qualification.
The Youth Experiment
In what was seen as a season waiting to collapse, the Chelsea legend made an unlikely switch to use youngsters within the club, with players like Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Billy Gilmour becoming first-team regulars. The usage of youth was unusual given the lack of opportunities for youth in Chelsea’s squad before. The new experiment was paying dividends and was seen as a sign of progression.
The Spending Spree
The Summer of 2020 was busy with the Blues spending a staggering amount of money to bring in the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell, Edouard Mendy, Hakim Ziyech, and more. The new and expensive signings resulted in increased expectations from the fans who were quick to tout them as title challengers.
The Turn of Events
A promising start to the season turned into a season to forget, after inconsistent performances in the Premier League. After 19 games, Chelsea sits in 9th place behind Aston Villa, who have two games in hand and the same number of points. In recent games, Chelsea has had difficulties in keeping the ball out of the net, and the form of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz has not done any favours either.
Tuchel Favourite to Replace Lampard
Thomas Tuchel is the favourite to replace the outgoing manager. This will be the first job for the German manager since his departure from Paris Saint Germain, where he managed two French League titles and a domestic treble in his final season. He also guided the French giants to their first Champions League final.
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