Football has lost sight of what counts as reasonable expectation after the number of Premier League sackings this season rose to 13, according to Frank Lampard.
The dismissal of Tottenham caretaker Cristian Stellini on Monday following the team’s 6-1 drubbing by Newcastle means Spurs and Chelsea have each now removed two coaches during the campaign.
Stellini had been due to take the north London club through to the end of the season having replaced Antonio Conte, to whom he was formerly the assistant, in March. However, he lasted under a month before himself being let go following the debacle on Tyneside.
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Lampard is the fourth coach to have taken charge of Chelsea during a chaotic first campaign for owner Todd Boehly, with Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter both sacked and stand-in boss Bruno Saltor overseeing a single game.
Eight other clubs have also sacked their manager during the season, with Southampton another side to have got rid of two. The second, Nathan Jones, lasted eight matches after replacing Ralph Hasenhuttl in November.
Chelsea’s interim boss could himself find he is replaced before the season is out, with Mauricio Pochettino close to agreeing to take over on a permanent basis, though the club are still speaking to other candidates.
It is not known whether any new manager would be expected to begin work right away or wait until summer.
Lampard made the point that whilst he did not consider Chelsea to be culpable, the football industry has suffered from polarisation leading to an absence of reason.
“I think the landscape has changed,” he said. “I think we’ve lost sight of alignment sometimes, maybe expectation sometimes, what is a reasonable expectation.
“Some of it has been fast-tracked, social media surrounding (it) and this open world of media. It’s a bit like politics now – you either hate something or you love it. You’re not allowed to be somewhere in between. It kind of feeds into football.
“You’re either winning games and you’re doing all right and we love you or you’re not and there’s pressure.
“You mention I’ve been sacked twice. When I was a player I was fortunate to have a career where you never have to have that feeling too much. I got released by Chelsea, but I was 35.
“To be a manager you are concerned about the fact that pretty much every manager will get let go at some point. Once it’s happened once or twice it feels a little bit softer than the first time. That’s a reality.
“It’s about getting the balance right of what is and isn’t reasonable expectation.”
Lampard has lost all four matches since being placed in temporary charge, and any hope of finishing the season strongly took a hit after it was confirmed Reece James will not play again this campaign.
James was clearly in discomfort after injuring his hamstring during Chelsea’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid last week but played on through the pain, completing the 90 minutes as the holders romped to a 4-0 aggregate win. A scan has since confirmed the extent of the injury.
His form has been one of few bright spots for the club in a dismal season, albeit one that has been blighted by fitness issues for the England defender.
Lampard was asked whether he saw James, who has been used as part of a back four as well as an advanced wing-back, evolving into a more attacking player in years to come.
“I think he can be a lot of things because of his level,” said Lampard. “Modern full-backs we sometimes see managers moving into midfield, but you can only do that if you’ve got the level of player to receive the ball in midfield, and Reece definitely has that.
“In the shorter term I do see him as a right-back or a right wing-back. It’s how he’s come through. In the modern day you can be effective, if you look at what Liverpool’s full-backs gave them in their really strong years, a huge amount of their attacking play was generated by their full-backs.
“There doesn’t seem any urgency to move Reece. At the moment I see him as one of the best full-backs around in world football.”
Mason Mount is due to have surgery on a long-term pelvic problem meaning he too is unlikely to play again this season.
Asked whether Mount had played his last game for Chelsea, Lampard said: “The bigger picture is something that’s going to become clearer over the next weeks and months.”
