frank lampard

Chelsea’s 1-0 loss in Marseille the other night did not stop them qualifying as Group F winners, but one thing which it will have done is eat away at the team's already brittle confidence. The Blues have taken five points from their last six Premier League games and have failed to win in their last four,. Wednesday night's result in the Champions League really hit home and serious questions are now being asked as to why the team has suffered a sudden dip in form.

Last week, before the Everton game Chelsea welcomed Captain and defensive stalwart John Terry back to the fold, many if not everybody thought Chelsea’s dire run would come to an end, sadly it did not. So why have the Blues struggled in recent times? I personally don’t think it has anything to do with a long list of injuries or the exit of former assistant manager, Ray Wilkins.

For me, the one man who has been missing from the Chelsea team in recent times is Frank Lampard. Now, it seems a bit to easy to say that a missing Lampard proves detrimental to the success of the team. However, what I do propose is that Ancelotti’s reliance on Lampard has proved to be the reason for his team’s poor form.

All the while John Terry and Frank Lampard were missing from the side; it is fair to say that Chelsea boss, Carlo Ancelotti was constantly urging the two to return in order to steady the ship as the Premier League title began to wobble ominously.

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Whilst Ancelotti craved for his two England international stars to return, was he unaware that this was having a less than beneficial impact on his team. I argue, how was a young Ramires meant to come into the fold, impress and help the team succeed while his manager was on the sidelines longing for the return of Lampard.

Some will argue that I’m clutching at straws and trying to unearth something that is not there. However, should Lampard’s return spark a mini revival for Chelsea then I guess we will never know why the team has suffered these mid season blues. However, should Lampard remain sidelined through injury and Ancelotti quietly cracks on with the players he has available and results start to pick up, it leaves me asking whether I am that far from the truth.

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