Frank Lampard's appointment as Maurizio Sarri's successor at Chelsea is one that caused a lot of heads to turn but the sense of renewed optimism among fans which followed the change in manager certainly outweighed every con associated with his arrival .
He might not be one of the Premier League's household names but his reputation precedes him with his time at Derby being a noteworthy testament. Nevertheless, the 41-year-old English manager's inexperience as well as his tag as one of the newest boys on the block, has the tendency to sway the Stamford Bridge outfit's onto unfamiliar territories on the league table.
The former cult hero's honeymoon phase has been all but actualised with his side yet to prove its pedigree against most of the opponents they have encountered. Just as it is mostly the case, the results accrued from the preseason friendlies were barely reflective of what Chelsea is capable of albeit the back-to-back defeats in successive competitive fixture telling a different tale.
With four wins from a total of nine appearances, Chelsea has an sub-par win percent of 44%. In candor, part of the problem can be associated with the fact that Lampard was unable to significantly boost his current squad with fresh recruitments this summer as a result of the transfer ban.
The Blues' available squad members are adorned with question marks, particularly the midfield and attack which have proved to be as narrow as ever. Let's not even get started on the defense that conceded almost two goals in each one of the nine matches apiece.
Indeed, it is undoubtedly early days yet for Super Frank Lampard as far as the season is concerned. However, the luxury of time is something the former England international lacks in large proportion with unforgiving fans ever-ready to pounce on his plight.
Coming up against Leicester City this weekend after the midweek's Super Cup heartbreak in the clash with Liverpool, hope is all that fans will clinch on to with Lampard at the wheel. The Foxes made life uncomfortable for the Blues and managed to draw and win the two league meetings. The test is evidently daunting but it certainly has no bearing on the immediate future of the new boss of the London outfit.
Nevertheless, if Chelsea seeks to make a real statement of intent despite its poor state to the season across all competitions, the essence of a favorable outcome cannot be understated. It'll take Lampard some time to fully implement his style of play but a win at a time is a way to go.
