{"id":1156159,"date":"2020-08-08T21:59:47","date_gmt":"2020-08-08T20:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1156159"},"modified":"2020-08-10T10:07:52","modified_gmt":"2020-08-10T09:07:52","slug":"frank-lampard-first-season-chelsea-manager-analysis","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/frank-lampard-first-season-chelsea-manager-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Frank Lampard’s first season as Chelsea manager: The good, the bad & the ugly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chelsea\u2019s 4-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 has brought their 2019\/20 campaign to a close.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Any hopes of a shock were quickly put to bed as Bayern took a 2-0 lead inside 25 minutes thanks to goals from Robert Lewandowski and Ivan Perisic. Tammy Abraham pulled one back for Chelsea just before half-time but Corentin Tolisso and another from Lewandowski wrapped up Bayern’s comprehensive win.<\/p>\n

The 2019\/20 campaign was Chelsea\u2019s first under club legend Frank Lampard, who replaced Maurizio Sarri last summer and was given a tough task of leading the Blues through a transitionary period.<\/p>\n

Having lost star man Eden Hazard in the same summer they were unable to make any new signings due to a transfer man, there was always going to be slightly more lenient expectations of Lampard in his first season. But how did he get on?<\/p>\n

The Good<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Christian Pulisic<\/h2>\n

Signed from Borussia Dortmund for \u00a358m under Maurizio Sarri last January, but sent back to Germany on loan, there was a lot of excitement when Christian Pulisic finally linked up with his new teammates. Any expectations that came with the transfer fee for the then 20-year-old were only made higher by the hopes of having him replace Hazard.<\/p>\n

Things started positively for Pulisic, starting four of Chelsea\u2019s first five games across all competitions, including an impressive performance in the Uefa Super Cup against Liverpool. But the American soon found himself out of the team, only getting minutes in a Carabao Cup tie against Grimsby. Reports of a loan move in January were quickly squashed by Lampard, who insisted the club had to protect Pulisic.<\/p>\n

\"Pulisic<\/p>\n

October brought cameo roles, but Pulisic was making the most of his time on the pitch, recording two assists including one in the 1-0 win over Ajax in the Champions League.
\nHis first league start for almost two months brought a hat-trick against Burnley, breaking Tammy Abraham\u2019s record as the youngest to do so in the Premier League for Chelsea, and two more goals in the next two games followed. By the end of December, spirits were high and fans were happy with how Pulisic had done.<\/p>\n

Then 2020 rolled in and Pulisic found himself out of the team once more. Innocuous injury reports combined with poor form had some fans questioning why the American was not in the team, and he remained out until football returned from its break in June \u2013 having recovered from his injury problems and had time to get back to fitness.<\/p>\n

And the break worked wonders, as Pulisic was arguably Chelsea\u2019s best player post-break, scoring five goals from open play and recording two assists \u2013 as well as winning various dangerous set pieces that led to goals.<\/p>\n

He was absent from the trip to Bayern due to injury, but when he returns next season, Pulisic can be Chelsea\u2019s best player \u2013 and Lampard has to take some praise for his patience and use.<\/p>\n

Chelsea\u2019s academy graduates<\/h2>\n

For some time, Chelsea\u2019s failure to use their excellent youth academy coupled with their loan system has been used as a brush to tar the club. But that cannot be the case any longer.<\/p>\n

Although some rival fans and even Chelsea\u2019s own may point at the circumstances that may have forced Lampard to use their younger players, being unable to sign anyone knew, the 42-year-old has kept faith in them, even during the tough times.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When Lampard was without the likes of N\u2019Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho, Billy Gilmour was given the opportunity to start in the FA Cup and Premier League. And he was even picked ahead of Jorginho later in the campaign, testament to the trust Lampard has in his abilities.<\/p>\n

Tammy Abraham was trusted to lead the line from the start of the season and only came out of the team due to injury, and later the form of Olivier Giroud \u2013 which also proves that Lampard isn\u2019t completely blinded by the academy and is rightfully treating them as any other player. And Reece James\u2019 run in the team both at right-back and wing-back, making him almost first-choice at times.<\/p>\n

Arguably the biggest success story, however, is that of Mason Mount. The start against Bayern Munich on Saturday was Mount\u2019s 53rd appearance of the 2019\/20 campaign, more than any other Chelsea player. Of those 53 appearances, 42 have been starts, while he\u2019s only missed two matches.<\/p>\n

\n

Mason Mount is the first Chelsea academy graduate to earn his first-team debut and play 50+ games in the same season.<\/p>\n

It's not because he's LaMPaRd'S sOn… he's a Chelsea Player of the Year contender. pic.twitter.com\/YvQVNepS4p<\/a><\/p>\n

— Squawka (@Squawka) August 1, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n