You keep your frustrations with the board to yourself. 100%. You get on the training ground and you work with your players and you help them win games. You collect your pay packet. These are the basic rules of management.

Managers can get closer to fans by saying things in the press without hurting their relationship to the squad or club.

9 minutes ago, Davey Baby said:

You keep your frustrations with the board to yourself. 100%. You get on the training ground and you work with your players and you help them win games. You collect your pay packet. These are the basic rules of management.

100%.

But another part of the job is identifying room for improvement and identify the right players to improve us.
I assume Lampard and his team have given the club a list of targets they think would improve us. If he hadn't he wouldn't be as frustrated as he comes across right now in my view.

And Lampard is a very sensible man so i would think he wouldn't give the club a fairytale-list of targets we'll never get in january but a more realistic one with targets that were attainable.

Well he just has to get one with it and do the best he can. Just please please start showing some signs of improving. Stop doing the same over and over expecting different results.

COME ON CHELSEA!!!!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7953889/amp/Frank-Lampard-worried-lack-signings-cost-Chelsea-four-spot.html?__twitter_impression=true

Oh deary me.

Yes... every time I look at the TV another player signs for a club. That's the transfer window. 

'But if I'm looking at it with my business head on and looking around us in the table and I look at Manchester United obviously signing a big, big player (Bruno Fernandes), a world class player in my opinion, and the teams around us, Sheffield United making fantastic signings.' 

He added: 'Tottenham have signed a few and they're not far behind us. And not only have they signed a few, but a couple of players have left where obviously - not being too crude about it - the situation was they were towards the end of their contracts and maybe weren't happy being at the club anymore. 

'Sometimes that's as important as bringing players in... from my view - and this is not to talk down ourselves because we're six points clear in fourth - now we become probably the underdogs and the outsiders to some point because the teams around us have strengthened.' 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/01/31/frank-lampard-says-chelsea-now-underdogs-top-four-battle-failing/

Some of Frank's from the emabrgoed section of the press conference have now been released. 

He's not wrong, lets hope we can pull it off starting tonight by putting those pretenders Leicester in their place.

Dont think we lost any decent defenders did we? In fact we gained one in James. Lamps needs to coach the defense better or get a defensive coach in. Especially one for set pieces.

Frank's words will not help us win at Leicester. Hope his mind is right because it reflects to the players.

I can't believe I actually got excited when our transfer ban got upheld. 

8 hours ago, Davey Baby said:

 

Nobody really expected or demanded top four last summer, and if he fails to get there, people will be citing mitigating factors, such as those you've just cited. I understand he's ambitious and wants to achieve his goals, and I understand he's frustrated, but what I would say to you and Nibs is this: The board are trying, just like he is. He wants his own players, or a certain kind of player, they are trying to get it done for him. Maybe they could do better, but maybe he could do better. The important thing is unity and positivity. He wants something, they couldn't deliver, not through want of trying, he shouldn't allow those frustrations to spill out into the public domain, or to filter through to his players. Say we were down in the bottom half, and the board suddenly started letting their frustrations known, wondering if he could be doing better, would you like it? I'd be equally critical of the board. We're all in this together. We're a club. Let's present a show of unity. That would be my advice. I'm not an apologist for the board, far from it, but I absolutely hate it when the manager starts presenting an image of unhappiness with transfers. I don't like it one bit, and never have. Klopp's a far better manager than Frank, he had far more pedigree when he joined Liverpool. He just got on with the job and started building something special and it took time. Maybe Frank should learn from the best.

It's hard to keep unity and positivity in the group when you're not being backed by the very same people who entrusted you with a very difficult job. We've had five permanent managers and three interims in charge over the last eight years, and some of our current players have outlasted them all. You want positivity and unity, how about trying to support your young manager for a change. Frank is normally a very level headed person and these latest comments show he's quite unhappy. None of us know what really happens behind the scenes, but if I had to guess he was probably given certain promises that the board failed to make good on regarding the January window. And let's not pretend this is the first time it happens at Chelsea, they treat managers like employees who need to operate on a 'need-to-know' basis, it regularly ends with falling out between a manager and the club and we spent an absolute fortune on buyout fees paid out to departing managers since Roman's arrival. The latest one being Conte suing CFC for some back pay or something.

We know Frank is lucky to have got the job and if it wasn't for the exceptional circumstances, that probably wouldn't have happened, at least not that early in his coaching career. But once you gave him the reins, so to speak, you have to back him, otherwise you're planting a time bomb that at some point will go off and destroy your relationship with a new manager, the atmosphere within the club and inevitably will have a negative effect on the performances/results. 

If we are to look positives we can say we have a pretty strong squad. Players like Tammy, Jorginho, Kovacic, Azpilicueta, Kante, Willian are not bad. We have Ruben knocking the door after his horrendous injury. I really don't think the club expects Frank to make top 4. That is probably a target but if he fails his job is safe.

What we can do now is really concentrate on the targets and improve the style we are playing. I feel we are on the cusp of having a great run once more.

As much as I sympathise with Frank over not getting any reinforcements, his press conference outburst is not good at all and there is no good that can come from his words. We can only hope no harm is done such as upsetting the players and board or emboldening the opposition.

As for his words bringing him closer to the fans, that is the least of Frank’s problems. He’s a club legend. This came across to me as fear and weakness and certainly hasn’t raised his stock in my eyes.

 

I wonder if Frank isn’t the messiah after all. Maybe we’ve not got the right club legend yet. I can’t help but ponder whether JT is the legend who’ll eventually lead us back to the holly land of league champions.

Edited February 1, 20206 yr by Snedger

10 minutes ago, Snedger said:

As much as I sympathise with Frank over not getting any reinforcements, his press conference outburst is not good at all and there is no good that can come from his words. We can only hope no harm is done such as upsetting the players and board or emboldening the opposition.

As for his words bringing him closer to the fans, that is the least of Frank’s problems. He’s a club legend. This came across to me as fear and weakness and certainly hasn’t raised his stock in my eyes.

I wonder if Frank isn’t the messiah after all. Maybe we’ve not got the right club legend yet. I can’t help but ponder whether JT is the legend who’ll eventually lead us back to the holly land of league champions.

I recall Frank saying earlier that perhaps this job had come too early yet, as there is no guarantee it would come again he had to take it.

Now the transfer window has closed it will be interesting to see if his language improves.

A factor that has occurred to me is that Frank is not just any manager, yet perhaps the leading English manager at the moment (Gerard and Rogers may disagree) and one of the most successful midfielders in England and an ex-England international to boot.

In terms of this being a factor consider the media have known him a long time, he is not some distant Italian or aloof Dutchman, they know him well. They also know he is intelligent and so when we are not playing well it is harder for him 'to pull the wool over their eyes'.  I notice him saying, I don't want to sound like a broken record, when talking about being clinical. If we miss a hatful of chances today you can expect the media to probe into his feelings about the lack of signings. 

He will need to choose his words carefully.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Snedger said:

As much as I sympathise with Frank over not getting any reinforcements, his press conference outburst is not good at all and there is no good that can come from his words. We can only hope no harm is done such as upsetting the players and board or emboldening the opposition.

As for his words bringing him closer to the fans, that is the least of Frank’s problems. He’s a club legend. This came across to me as fear and weakness and certainly hasn’t raised his stock in my eyes.

 

I wonder if Frank isn’t the messiah after all. Maybe we’ve not got the right club legend yet. I can’t help but ponder whether JT is the legend who’ll eventually lead us back to the holly land of league champions.

Really? he's not the first manager to get annoyed with board members and he won't be the last. Pretty much every successful one has at some point. I remember when City spent over £100m on the defence and Guardiola was still complaining.

2 hours ago, Snedger said:

As much as I sympathise with Frank over not getting any reinforcements, his press conference outburst is not good at all and there is no good that can come from his words. We can only hope no harm is done such as upsetting the players and board or emboldening the opposition.

As for his words bringing him closer to the fans, that is the least of Frank’s problems. He’s a club legend. This came across to me as fear and weakness and certainly hasn’t raised his stock in my eyes.

 

I wonder if Frank isn’t the messiah after all. Maybe we’ve not got the right club legend yet. I can’t help but ponder whether JT is the legend who’ll eventually lead us back to the holly land of league champions.

Wasn't exactly an outburst, it has nothing on Conte in his second year who would blame everyone else apart from himself for a whole season.

Barkley for Abraham was interesting.

Lampard would rather play with no striker then Batshuayi. Should tell you all you need to know.

 

2 minutes ago, Sindre said:

Barkley for Abraham was interesting.

Lampard would rather play with no striker then Batshuayi. Should tell you all you need to know.

 

I think some of that decision was about Barkley's willingness to track back. Bats would worry me if he was in a defensive situation 😉. But certainly I hope Giroud starts getting picked more ahead of Bats now he is staying.

12 minutes ago, Sindre said:

Barkley for Abraham was interesting.

Lampard would rather play with no striker then Batshuayi. Should tell you all you need to know.

 

Batshuayi has been bought on a lot of late and ended up contributing nothing to the team, I don't blame Lampard for trying something different.

Giroud has to be back in now. I really can’t see how Bats should be ahead of him.

Just now, dansubrosa said:

Giroud has to be back in now. I really can’t see how Bats should be ahead of him.

I say the same, but then I remember that West Ham performance. 

Super Frank is trying to get out of dodge

Think Frank said most of us would have in the presser, we are short in quality, and to be fair we'd settle for someone a level below Sancho and Werner, just to get through the season and nail the 4th spot. For whatever reasons, Lampard didn't get any help, he basically stated the consequences, it's not like he called someone out. It's tough for Lampard, fan favour or not, if we finish outside the top 4, his position will come under scrutiny, and who wants another reboot at the end of the season?😟

Up to him to set the team out to get wins against United and Spurs. If he does that then we are in a strong position. 

Let's not act like our squad is full of lame ducks. Frank just has to make the best of what he has.

He has the best ball-winning midfielder in the league. A world cup winning forward he does not use. Same forward who led us to the Europa league last season. Same forward who needs to get his rear in gear to keep his place in the France team.

Not to mention soon Pulisic and RLC are back and those are two big players. RLC is arguably our best player imo.

3 minutes ago, icecoolguy22 said:

Think Frank said most of us would have in the presser, we are short in quality, and to be fair we'd settle for someone a level below Sancho and Werner, just to get through the season and nail the 4th spot. For whatever reasons, Lampard didn't get any help, he basically stated the consequences, it's not like he called someone out. It's tough for Lampard, fan favour or not, if we finish outside the top 4, his position will come under scrutiny, and who wants another reboot at the end of the season?😟

I think the challenge is that we're not entirely at the races for the Sanchos and Werners compared to others who might come in for them. 

Look at Leicester and Dortmund for the model we may have to pursue. That requires a reboot of our scouting and recruitment approach. More 2013 and less 2018.

3 hours ago, Spiller86 said:

I think the challenge is that we're not entirely at the races for the Sanchos and Werners compared to others who might come in for them. 

Look at Leicester and Dortmund for the model we may have to pursue. That requires a reboot of our scouting and recruitment approach. More 2013 and less 2018.

Well that good 2013 scouting was mostly down  to Emanalo, who was made a scapegoat by 90% of the fans just because his face didn't fit. Now look he's gone (rejoice) and we are nowhere near better off. Prime reason why fans would make bad owners.