It hasn’t all been pretty, but rarely has a team responded faster to a new coach.
Chelsea head into Monday Evening’s clash with Everton having shut out Atletico Madrid, Man Utd and Liverpool in their last three games. In fact, they have conceded just twice since Thomas Tuchel arrived to save their floundering season in January. Despite being responsible for scoring half of those two with his Bramall Lane blunder, nobody has epitomised the new era at the Bridge better than Antonio Rudiger.
Rudiger had become an expensive exile under Lampard’s leadership. Chelsea looked resigned to making a solid loss on their £29m outlay in 2017 as the German featured in just four Premier League matches before the club decided to ruthlessly cut ties with their club legend manager. The situation led to ‘nonsense rumours‘ suggesting the centre half played an active role in Lampard’s dismissal. Fast forward six weeks and the now ever-present Rudiger anchors the meanest defense in the league.
Lampard retained plenty of sympathy at the time of his dismissal, his sacking even labelled the ‘most brutal yet’ of Chelsea’s recent switches. Within ten games, Tuchel has destroyed this theory. It is, though, the instant show of form from the likes of Rudiger that is damaging Lampard’s managerial reputation and with it, his future prospects.
With each victory and each clean sheet it becomes glaringly obvious that the rookie manager failed to find the potential in his squad. The expensive attacking additions of Havertz, Werner and Ziyech are still not hitting top form but thanks to the commanding presence of Rudiger and the steadying influence of Cesar Azpilucueta, Tuchel has found a way to win anyway that Lampard could not.
So next up a visit from in-form Everton, themselves arriving on the back of three straight clean sheets. The victor will find themselves securely in the Champions League places, the loser dropping to 6th at worst. For perspective, Chelsea sat 9th in late January when Tuchel arrived. If their defenders inspire another key victory over the Toffees, the defence of Lampard’s use of Rudiger and his squad will become yet more difficult.
His managerial future is being damaged as it becomes increasingly clear that some in this Chelsea squad could always play, but now have the leader to get them playing. The chances of Lampard being considered for the next available Premier League post are decreasing at around the same rate as the doubts surrounding Chelsea’s imposing German centre half.
Elsewhere, these two impressive Premier League playmakers are set to do battle on Monday night in East London.
