Premier League: Chelsea shows no love but Frank Lampard exits gracefully

Chelsea decided on Monday early afternoon, enough is enough, and have parted ways with manager Frank Lampard sooner than expected.

The Blues acted rapidly in the firing of the Englishman and finding a replacement – displaying the plan was in place for some time now and it was only a matter of when and not if he would get pulled from the job.

Three wins in his last 10 Premier League games and collecting 11 points from the 30 up for grabs was cause for concern – ultimately leading to his demise at Stamford Bridge.

But it was not so much the news of his dismissal but more how everything went down that was surprising – which was quite ugly as well. Basically, the same energy as the time Jose Mourinho, Maurizio Sarri and Antonio Conte all got sacked by the same club.

Nothing is ever graceful at the Bridge and when you don’t come up with the goods they send you packing with minimal sympathy – showing almost no compassion.

Frank Lampard was not allowed at Chelsea’s training ground

To rub salt in the wound it was reported that the club blocked the ex-manager from entering their Cobham Training Ground. He was unable to meet the group of players he was once in charge of – with the club not allowing him to say his goodbyes to his boys.

Not what you would expect when he is one of the club’s biggest legends. Sadly, even the fact that they could not stand by him as their counterparts have stood by their men at their respective helms, says a lot about the South West London side and their decision-making.

But Frank Lampard was humble in defeat

The now ex-manager of Chelsea Football Club took his beating like a man. Never spoke ill of them and took on all the responsibility for what went wrong during his time in charge.

Lampard was transparent in his message and spoke of the high demand at Stamford Bridge – knowing very well what the consequences are if you fail at meeting your targets or even when just going astray.

Lampard’s take on the situation:

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"It has been a huge privilege and an honour to manage Chelsea, a club that has been a big part of my life for so long.Firstly, I would like to thank the fans for the incredible support that I have received over the last 18 months. I hope they know what that means to me.When I took on this role I understood the challenges that lay ahead in a difficult time for the football club.I am proud of the achievements that we made, and I am proud of the academy players that have made their step into the first team and performed so well. They are the future of the club.I am disappointed not to have had the time this season to take the club forward and bring it to the next level. (Via: Sky Sports)"

In all fairness, the Englishman was skating on thin ice but it would be hard to judge if this was the right decision in such a tightly contested Premier League campaign.

Only 11 points separate first-placed Manchester United and ninth-placed Chelsea. In a season where everybody is taking knocks more often than not, it’s hard to say who will take the crown this term, who will end up in European spots and who will grievously miss out.

Nothing can be taken back now and Chelsea are comfortably set in their ways already, seeing he is the 14th manager to take control of the London side since Roman Abramovich took over in 2003.

To say there is a lot of pressure on the new boss, Thomas Tuchel, would be a massive understatement. He will be required to bring in some silverware with his inherited £200m team.

Will Tuchel bring in some silverware for the Blues?