From Hero to Villain – Frank Lampard put Legendary status at risk with absurd return to Chelsea

One would have thought, what was he thinking returning to Chelsea in this state ? Wanting to be a hero, the former West Ham United man is heading to a zero because fans are growing less in love for him as the inevitable continues to befall their club.

Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack, to mention but a few will forever have the respect Chelsea faithfuls have for them preserved because they’ve served the club at their strength, and not with their flaws.

There’s a reason Cesar Azpilicueta is no longer a regular in the club’s starting XI. Once you can not consistently deliver and no longer in your prime, it is wiser to carefully select the battles to fight.

For managers, it is not the same because the responsibility of the team is all on you and questions will be asked, when things are not going well because there’s no hiding place for managers, unlike the players.

Even if very good players had bad moments, it may not affect the overall performance of the team, and those bad moments are often forgiven because in the long run, players tend to deliver more appreciative ones, enough to forget how poor they were in the past.

For managers, an entire squad can not be blamed but the personnel responsible for making the selections, even if it is the individual howler of the players that has been costing the team.

Frank Lampard, much bigger Chelsea legend than the aforementioned trio of Drogba, Ballack and Azpilicueta but he has now become a subject of disrespect amongst the club’s fan base, because he failed to learn the lesson the easier way.

In his first spell as the Chelsea manager, the side was not as bad as it is now, and even when they were denied the right to make transfers and add players in the window, the Englishman was still able to earn them a top four finish.

That same campaign, which was his first in the Chelsea job, he reached the final of the Emirates FA Cup, where the club narrowly lost out to Arsenal through a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s brace in Wembley.

The following season, the transfer ban ended and Lampard was given the cash, to spend big to build his own big legacy, to follow the footstep of the previous managers at Chelsea, almost all of whom had joy managing the club.

Unfortunately, a summer headlined with the signing of German duo in Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, while they also have Kepa Arrizabalaga, the most expensive Goalkeeper of all-time but all did not earn him much joy during the season.

The failure of these players to deliver was the sole reason his first stint as the club’s Manager didn’t go well but as luck would have it, he was to get even more discredited as his successor, Thomas Tuchel went on to win the Champions League in less than six months with the same set of players.

That was as good as it got with the German as well, albeit they did went on to with UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup, but in the league, they were never close to challenging for the title.

Thomas Tuchel was sacked when the club was in a very bad state and Graham Potter, who succeeded him never really get going due to his inexperience at the top level. Despite the support given to him by the management, the time eventually came when it was no longer acceptable.

Lampard was reached to help them see out the season despite standing no chance of landing the job on a permanent basis. Yet, he took the offer, knowing what lies ahead because at that time, the team was probably at the lowest it could get.

Literally, it would be difficult even for a top manager to get things together given the congested and tough fixtures in the run-in. At that time, they still had to play Real Madrid over two legs in the Champions League last eight.

They’ve now been blown away by Los Blancos, who completed the double over Chelsea to become the first side to defeat The Blues twice in Champions League home game, having done so last season as well.

According to Opta Analyst, Chelsea’s fixtures in the run-in ranked fourth most difficult. Graham Potter was even lucky he had the less teams to play in his final four league games in charge, hence the seven points won.

Wins over Leeds United and Leicester City, a draw at home to Everton before losing to a very in form side in Aston Villa in what was eventually his final game.

Four games into Lampard’s return to the club for the second time as the manager have now produced four defeats, one Champions League elimination and just one goal.

By context, two of those defeats have come against Real Madrid and another one against Brighton, a team that has been a revelation under Italian manager, Roberto De Zerbi.

In spite of their poor season, the Champions League was the only hope for Chelsea fans. Though they would have also concealed the thought that they are not going past Real Madrid but comparing their current status to those of the two previous times they’ve been crowned winner of the competition, they were in some way convinced it would happen again.

But that was not meant to be after Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio scored to seal a 2-0 win for the Spanish giants in the Bernabéu before a Rodrygo Goes’ double in London completed a 4-0 aggregate defeat for Chelsea.

One game that maybe the club had stood a better chance of taking anything from was Lampard’s first game, but a Matheus Nunes’s sensational strike downed his Blues in the Molineux, as Wolves earned a famous three point.

Not yet forgiven by a section of the Chelsea fan base for returning to the Premier League to play for Manchester City in 2014, when he even scored in a League game against Chelsea.

Also, Lampard’s wild celebration when Richarlison scored the only goal as Everton beat Chelsea in the Goodison Park last May still hurt some fans, and now dragging their team in the mud is another of his many misdeeds that continues to infuriate fans.

However, it is safe to say the 44year old only made himself the victim in an unfortunate circumstance because it was always going to take something out of the ordinary to deliver Chelsea from the situation there in.

There’s little wonder those considered frontrunners for the job were not willing to take it up right away and the management had to seek a temporary solution. After all neither of Julian Nagelsmann nor Luis Enrique is currently engaged.

Lampard might be a good midfielder, one considered one of the greatest of his time. His prime was Chelsea’s prime, but unfortunately, that has not extended to his time as manager, because he has neither prove as good nor able to make decisions good for him.

Chelsea still have to travel to Arsenal and both Manchester clubs before the end of the league season, while Brentford and Newcastle United visit the Stamford Bridge.

Those are games that could potentially damage the mission to salvaging their season, and further dampened the deteriorating relationship between Lampard and the Chelsea community.

The consequences of him taking up the job when he shouldn’t are not potential, they are already here and could get even worse as time passes by. Because the upcoming fixtures are not getting easier.

Currently placed eleventh on the Premier League standing, with their current performance and the games coming up, it won’t be too surprising if by the end of the month they find themselves in the relegation battle.

Though unrealistic given how bad the teams in the zones are but not impossible because Chelsea themselves have no direction at the moment. It is the same story game after games.

A scenario where the club have to again part ways with their legend, who was only employed as an interim manager for a period of less than two months, such a dismal ending it would be to a beautiful story.

But in the end, it is Lampard who has made himself the subject of negative gestures from the fans that used to sing him praises and consider him a legend, because he was unable to let go, when it was already time to do so.

Author : Kehinde Hassan Afolabi