"Chelsea are collecting only ‘L’s" - Chris Sutton claims Frank Lampard's stint as Blues coach has turned into a 'reputation killer' for him
Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has slammed the Blues for their dismal form in the Premier League recently under Frank Lampard. The Englishman labeled the club's season as a car crash and lambasted them for their performance against Arsenal on 2 May.
The West London outfit suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to the Gunners in their sixth consecutive loss under Lampard after a poor display at the Emirates. The English boss has failed to secure a point since his return to Stamford Bridge this term.
Sutton was unforgiving in his assessment of his former club's performances under Lampard. The former Chelsea striker wrote in his column for the Daily Mail:
"Chelsea hoped they were getting Super Frank, a romantic homecoming to rejuvenate the club. Six defeats later, they are stuck with ‘Frank L-L-L-L-L-Lampard’. Chelsea are collecting only ‘L’s — losses — under their caretaker manager, the latest coming in a pitiful 3-1 defeat at Arsenal. It was enough to make you wonder what they do in training during the week."
He added:
"This was a Chelsea team who included World Cup winners and runners-up, a Premier League Golden Boot winner, Champions League winners, Europa League winners and millions upon millions of pounds’ worth of talent. Yet there was no plan, no pattern to their play, no hope in hell of getting up the pitch."
Predicting a bleak managerial future for Lampard, the Englishman further added:
"What started as a supposed ‘free hit’ has turned into a reputation killer for Lampard and after this it is difficult to see how he gets another job in the Premier League."
The Blues are currently twelfth in the Premier League table, having won only ten matches. The west London outfit are nine points away from falling into the relegation zone.
"I understand why" - Chris Sutton says he 'doesn't blame' Frank Lamprd for 'going back to Chelsea'
Sutton then stated that he understood why Lampard returned to Stamford Bridge as caretaker manager until June. The Englishman highlighted the retired midfielder's love for the club that comes from his playing days at the West London outfit.
The former Blues striker wrote in the aforementioned column for the Daily Mail:
"I don’t blame him for going back to Chelsea. Though it might seem strange for a young coach to agree to act as a gap-filler, I understand why he took it on. He loves the club. He thought he could get a tune out of this talented squad. He hoped it could help him after what happened at Everton."
He added:
"Instead it has been a disaster, as damaging as the appointments of Cristian Stellini at Tottenham and Nathan Jones at Southampton. It has hurt Lampard, but he’s in too deep to leave now. It cannot get worse than losing six on the spin at Chelsea. He needs to stay, if only in the hope that he gets results in the run-in against Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, United and Newcastle."
The Blues will next face Bournemouth at Vitality Park on 6 May. It remains to be seen whether Lampard can redeem himself with a win on Saturday.