Roman Abramovich will sack Frank Lampard if he doesn’t deliver a top-four finish this campaign according to Craig Burley, who says the blues manager is now on the “chopping board”.
Lampard guided Chelsea to a top-four finish and the FA Cup final during his first campaign in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Lampard recieved a lot of credit for moulding a competitive team made up of academy graduates, with Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Reece James and Tomori all making huge impact.
He was able to bolster the team in the summer transfer window, with Chelsea backing their manager to the tune of over £200m as Hakim Ziyech, Werner, Havertz and Ben Chilwell all made their way to the club.
But, not all of the new players have adapted to the Premier League as quickly as fans might have hoped, and the London side have struggled for consistency amid the congested fixture list.
Chelsea have only one win in their last five Premier League games after they played a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Monday.
Burley believes pressure is building on Lampard heading into the second half of the campaign, with Abramovich not known for being patient with the managers he has worked with.
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“[Lampard’s] got players out of form, he’s got players that are not fully fit, and that’s a problem,” the former Chelsea player told ESPN. “They have gone from looking one of the paciest, quickest sides in the Premier League, to one of the most pedestrian.
“That is a huge issue for him because you may have noticed with this owner Roman Abramovich, he doesn’t suffer inconsistency, bad results, no matter who it is. So let me be clear, Lampard is back on the chopping board currently as we speak.”
Burley added: “It’s turn-up time for Lampard and these players. This cut and thrust period can make and break you.
“I’m not suggesting Abramovich is going to sack him in the next couple of weeks, but there is one thing they need to remember – top four. If they don’t get in the top four, he’s probably done.
“It’s a big season for him. It looked as if it was going swimmingly and now it looks like they’re sinking a little bit. They seem to have a weight around their feet. He’s going to have to find the reason to put it right.”
