Chelsea Football Club has been the new giants of the Premier League ever since Roman Abramovich took over in the early 2000s. Since then, he has bankrolled some of the worlds biggest signings. This summer, there were no signs of stopping. After squeezing into a UEFA Champions League place by finishing fourth last season, Frank Lampard felt that his squad was not enough to challenge for trophies. Abramovich’s answer: spend almost a quarter of a billion pounds to freshen up the Blues. Perhaps this was a response to the transfer ban Chelsea had to withstand or the result of selling club legend Eden Hazard to Real Madrid.
The players Chelsea brought in were some of the highest caliber players in European football. Chelsea signed Timo Werner (RB Leipzig), Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen), Hakim Ziyech (Ajax), Malang Sarr (Nice), Ben Chilwell (Leicester), Thiago Silva (PSG) and Edouard Mendy (Rennes). These signings addressed major areas of concern for Lampard as well as added squad depth to a fairly young Blues side.
Lampard is considered very fortunate due to the prestige of players he now has at his disposal. Despite Tammy Abraham scoring 15 goals last season, Lampard felt the need for a more reliable and ruthless striker. Werner came from the Bundesliga as well as another attacking threat, Havertz.
Despite being lauded as great signings, these two players have found life difficult while adjusting to the Premier League. With Chelsea having come away with only 7 points in their first 4 matches, it has not been the dream start Lampard would have wanted.
This tactical analysis and scout report will examine why Werner and Havertz have caused Lampard a tactical conundrum as he tries to find the right formula for his Chelsea side.
The attack
While signing fantastic players with bags of ability is always a dream for any manager, in the case of Lampard, it is becoming a problem for his tactics. The fact of the matter is there is so much attacking threat and talent in Chelsea’s forward players that it is difficult to fit everyone into the starting eleven. This causes major problems with players as the manager has to find the right formula while still keeping players happy. Obviously, no one wants to sit on the sidelines after signing for a club like Chelsea.
The attacking players Lampard has at his disposal are all experienced professionals. These players include Christian Pulisic, Olivier Giroud, Tammy Abraham, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi. While not every player will earn the right to be a part of the starting eleven, there are certainly players who are going to be left out. Furthermore, by not playing young and emerging stars like Mount or Hudson-Odoi, it can cause issues with their development. Quite simply, players need to play to improve and get results.
After spending big on signings such as Werner and Havertz, these players have to play. Recently, Lampard has been experimenting with his squad to try and get the best formula. However, he is finding that emptying the bank account may not be the immediate fix he was hoping for.
Tactically, Lampard has deployed two different formations: the 4-3-3 and the 4-2-3-1. The key area where these formations differ is the midfield role, wherein the 4-2-3-1 there is an attacking midfielder who occupies the number 10 role. Below are examples of Lampard’s starting eleven in two different matches thus far in the Premier League. When looking at these starting elevens take note of where Havertz and Werner are stationed.
In the second match of the Premier League season, Chelsea lost 2-0 to a dominant Liverpool side. They started this match in a 4-3-3 with Havertz playing as a striker and Werner playing as a left-winger. Mount is on the right-hand side while there is a more defensive-minded midfield three behind them.
In their next match which ended in a 3-3 draw, Lampard deployed yet another formation. This time, Havertz was dropped into the number 10 role, allowing Abraham to start up top and Werner out wide.
