Chelsea & Frank Lampard: A match made in hell

Chelsea are undoubtedly the gift that keeps on giving at the moment, with the club lurching along listlessly under interim manager Frank Lampard.

The Blues’ 2-0 defeat against Brentford at Stamford Bridge last night was the first time they have lost five games in a row in all competitions in 30 years.

All five losses have come under the stewardship of Frank Lampard – who, let’s face it, should never have been asked to return to the club.

The 44-year-old became the first Chelsea manager in the club’s history to lose his first four games in charge with last week’s Champions League loss to Real Madrid.

He extended that miserable run against the Bees, and things could get worse with a visit to table-topping Arsenal next on the agenda.

Lampard is now rubbing shoulders with some pretty miserable company in terms of managers who failed in English football.

They include Frank de Boer, who is often derided for his dismal time in charge of Crystal Palace at the start of the 2017/18 season.

The Dutchman took charge of Palace for five games, with his only victory coming in a League Cup match against Ipswich Town.

Bob Bradley (Swansea City) and Avram Grant (West Ham United) are other notable examples of managers who were massive flops in the Premier League.

However, the difference in Lampard’s case is it is happening at Chelsea – a member of the so-called ‘Big Six’ who have spent bucket loads of money in the last two transfer windows.

Appointing Lampard for a second stint in charge was never likely to end well, even as a temporary solution. His managerial CV speaks volumes about his abilities as a coach.

Lampard failed to get Derby County promoted before striking it lucky with the Chelsea job. His lack of tactical acumen eventually caught up with him and he was axed.

He was then surprisingly handed an opportunity by Everton, where he won just 12 of his 44 games in charge before being dismissed.

Much like his former England teammate Steven Gerrard, Lampard is not cut out to be a Premier League manager.

If truth be told, you would be hard-pushed to recommend either of them for a job further down the scale.

If Chelsea’s owners had any sense, they would put Lampard out of his misery now rather than dragging out this nonsense until the end of the season.