For all Chelsea’s successes this season under Frank Lampard, one criticism that has been levelled at them is they are concerning defensively. Assistant manager Jody Morris may have laughed off those comments from Jose Mourinho, but the ex-Blues boss has a point.
You have to look as low as 13th in the Premier League table to find a club who have conceded more than Chelsea’s 24 goals in 16 games, and it will be a challenge for Lampard’s side to go the entire season outscoring teams if his side are to finish in the Champions League places.
In the Premier League this season, Chelsea have kept just three clean sheets, against Newcastle United, Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace, whilst newly-promoted Sheffield United have taken no time to adapt to defending in the topflight keeping five. Something has to change at Stamford Bridge, and Lampard could start by preventing all three of his midfielders bombing forwards when Chelsea have possession.
At present there have been times where N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount have all looked to progress up the pitch when the Blues turn over the ball, while Emerson and Reece James also push up at wing-back, meaning there are just two centre-backs who are entrusted with defending. Kante, who covers space exquisitely, is then relied upon to prevent opposition counter-attacks, but on the occasions he is beaten, it can leave huge spaces for rival strikers.
Quick opposition transitions overloading the defence and finding gaps were particularly noticeable during the 4-0 defeat to Manchester United on the opening day of the season. One way Lampard can prevent this is to make sure there is always a midfielder dropping between, or just in front of, the centre backs when James and Emerson burst forward, to provide extra cover. It is a similar principle to David Luiz’s role in the five-man defence utilised by Antonio Conte while in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Jorginho naturally behaves in a way that sees him drop between the two central defenders, as it was crucial to the way he played under Maurizio Sarri at Napoli, but if Kovacic was to do it while the Italian wasn’t in the side, Kante could still cover the middle of the park, leaving the Blues less vulnerable.
Lampard will have to work out a method of ensuring his side do not leak quite so many goals as they have during the opening 16 games of his Premier League tenure. Otherwise, if they were to lose Tammy Abraham’s goalscoring capabilities, it risks derailing their season if Chelsea cannot shut up shop.
