Chelsea: How Exactly Did Frank Lampard Turn This Team Around

Lampard’s time at Chelsea as a manager has seen him experimented with the squad and the formation.

Throughout the season, Lampard has experimented a fair amount. He has used various formations, line-up combinations, and substitution patterns. Though Lampard experimenting is an effect of inexperience, most of them seem to have turned out quite successful. His only dilemma is what will maximize efficiency and bring the most success towards the club.

From Chelsea’s first match of the season until their latest match, a few formations have been used. A 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 3-4-3, and 4-5-1 were the formations Lampard decided to use this season. The 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 were most commonly used. Lampard experimenting with formations is common, especially for a new manager.

Lampard also experimented with different line-up combinations and substitutes. He made a lot of different choices on who starts, who comes off the bench, and who doesn’t play at all in a match. During the season, Chelsea has had a few scenarios take place at left-back.

Cesar Azpilicueta, Marcos Alonso, and Emerson Palmieri all started at left-back at least once this season. At center back, Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori, and Andreas Christensen have all started at least once. Tariq Lamptey, Reece James, and Cesar Azpilicueta have all played at right-back.

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In the midfield, Billy Gilmour, N’Golo Kanté, Mateo Kovacic, Jorhinho, and Ross Barkley have all started under him. On the wings, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Mason Mount, Willian, and Pedro have all started. At striker, Tammy Abraham, Olivier Giroud, and Michy Batshuayi have played as the striker this term.

All of these players have played on the pitch this season and Frank Lampard gave them all some quality minutes. Lampard made numerous different line-ups throughout the season, he was not able to stick with a regular line-up. Lampard experimenting like that has its positives and negatives. The main positive is no team can predict the line-up. But the main negative is switching the line up too often, interrupts all the players’ form.