Since stepping into the hotseat of his beloved Chelsea, Frank Lampard has enjoyed mixed success, receiving plaudits for his style of play, but not always getting the results he craves.
Indeed this current incarnation of the Blues is in its infancy, and Lampard has not been afforded the luxury of recruiting players to match his system, but early signs of aesthetically pleasing football appear positive.
One of the biggest gripes about ‘Sarriball’ under predecessor Maurizio Sarri was a lack of high-octane intensity in the final third, but that certainly doesn’t appear to be a problem with Lampard at the helm.
If his side have looked susceptible at the back, then the same certainly cannot be said of his frontline, with the west London club looking devastating going forward. The likes of Christian Pulisic and Mateo Kovacic have been key to that, demonstrating a vim and a vigour that could prove invaluable this campaign.
He has also been forced to utilise the academy with Chelsea currently serving out a transfer embargo, but that may have always been the case, with Lampard priding his philosophy on giving youngsters an opportunity – his Derby County tenure endorses this assertion.
A 4-2-3-1 system was his go-to at Pride Park and that was his preferred choice in the 4-0 reversal to Man Utd, but since the return of N’Golo Kante, 4-3-3 has been deployed – and to great effect.
And that was the formation which gave Lampard his first competitive win as Chelsea manager, with Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount flourishing against Norwich City, while Ross Barkley stepped up in the absence of Kante.
The former England international will be desperate to secure a top four Premier League finish this season, but can his talented tyros maintain their weekend form in East Anglia across an entire campaign?
Statman Dave has all the answers to those questions in his latest video as he explains Frank Lampard’s early tactical set-up.
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