Lampard’s axing was disgraceful... clearly managers are cheaper to get rid of than players who can’t trap a bag of cement
FRANK LAMPARD, it seems, got the sack because some of his players complained to the board... and I find that disgraceful.
All the remarks coming from Chelsea suggest that, and it’s unbelievably poor.
But it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest, because that particular precedent of senior players going directly to the owners at the club seemed to have been established.
It seemed to happen with Conte, Sarri, even Mourinho, and going further back, to the likes of Rafa Benitez.
And I have to ask, is that modern football now, where the players have all the power because they are the ones who are worth the most?
Depressingly, that seems to be the case.
I did a talk with Graeme Souness recently, and he made the same point.
It’s far, far cheaper to get rid of one manager, than a whole group of players who are worth so much more.
You can argue that means players can get rid of a manager at a whim, and that wouldn’t be too far from the truth. You could ask what that says about the character of the players, and whether they will show mental strength when it really matters on the pitch.
So you’re potentially buying into (or sacking into) a situation which means you never have the continuity of a longterm manager that has proven to bring success.
You could also argue that it means the club has a squad without the mentality to be serial winners.
Will Roman Abramovich and his board ever develop any awareness about that? I doubt it.
And I guess if they pay the money then they have a right to do what they like. It’s their prerogative.
It’s far from ideal, I don’t think it’s anything that people want to see in football, but that’s the way of things.
We are the social media generation after all, and those knee-jerk instant reactions bring so much more pressure.
I think the insanity of that has been summed up in recent weeks when people have actually been questioning Jurgen Klopp after a run of a few games without results. It sounds so stupid, but it has really happened. I’m shaking my head just thinking about it.
Frank knew what he was getting into though. He knew there was a situation where the players could judge him, and put pressure on him. He knew there is little loyalty from above either – not even to a club legend.
I’d question the owners over where their lack of loyalty all ends.
Why don’t they back the people they employ to manage their players?
Eden Hazard was quick to want to leave, and you can’t argue when he sees no loyalty around him.
At least Thomas Tuchel is under absolutely no illusions… and he’s used to this situation too.
He got to a Champions League final with PSG, won the league and just reached the cup final and still got sacked. Unlucky? Absolutely. But the players probably did for him there.
So he knows what he’s up against at Chelsea. And he has problems. I’d say about Frank Lampard, did he even want the players he was given this summer?
I’m not sure. But I’m positive he deserved more from them.
Regardless of whether he signed them or not, these guys cost £50million, £60m, £70m whatever… and they look like they couldn’t trap a bag of cement.
Tuchel knows he has to get far more from them. He also knows that one day in the not too distant, the players may not like his methods, or his selections or whatever, and he’ll be on his way. So he’ll be thinking like this. First of all, it’s a payday. Secondly, a chance to put something on his CV.
If Tuchel can win a couple of trophies he’ll definitely stay on that managerial merry-go-round at the top clubs, and that was probably his bottom line when he accepted the job.