When
Chelsea kick off their Premier League season on September 14 it will be one
year to the day since a 5-2 win at Wolves in which all five goals were
scored by academy graduates.
Tammy Abraham's hat-trick took him to seven goals in three games, evidence
of what can happen when youth meets opportunity. Mason Mount and Fikayo
Tomori scored the other two - players who undoubtedly owed their chance to
Frank Lampard, who had previously coached them at Derby.
There were times last autumn when Chelsea appeared convinced of the merits
of this new path, even if it was one they were treading because of necessity
rather than design.
Eden Hazard was gone and the means to replace him had been temporarily
restricted by a transfer ban. But when Christian Pulisic scored a hat-trick
of his own at Burnley in October to extend the club's winning streak to
seven games, the sense of optimism and renewal was palpable.
Events since then have tempered that naive notion. After criticising the
finishing at times during the first part of the season, the back-to-back
home defeats to Bournemouth and Southampton in December left Lampard
bemoaning a lack of creativity instead. The defensive flaws since the
restart offered a reminder that all was not well there either.
By the time the FA Cup final had been surprisingly surrendered to Arsenal
and the Champions League beating at the hands of Bayern Munich was complete,
the verdict was in.
This transition season had served its purpose, a top-four finish secured.
But for the club to move forward, new signings would be needed. High quality
was the route back to the top.
"Expectations were mixed at the start of the season," Lampard recently told
Sky Sports. "There were some unknowns in terms of the squad. I had players
making their debuts in the Premier League and I just wanted to see where we
could get to. We have made some really good steps forward but then we have
to think of the next one because we are Chelsea."
The transfer activity since then has made the club's intentions clear.
Chelsea's new signing arrives from Ajax but he was made in Heerenveen. The
story of his journey to the Premier League.
Quality has arrived en masse. Hakim Ziyech's signing had long been known
about but that has not prevented the club turning to Kai Havertz too. He
joins fellow Germany international Timo Werner, new left-back Ben Chilwell
and experienced Brazilian defender Thiago Silva.
These are elite signings.
Thiago Silva's reputation is not in doubt. He joins having just played in a
Champions League final. Liverpool fancied Werner but were unwilling to
compete financially for his signature. Havertz is widely regarded as
Germany's outstanding young talent.
Nobody should get too carried away with the idea the Bundesliga pairing are
here hoping to make a name for themselves - that has already been done.
Speaking to Tayfun Korkut recently, Havertz's former coach at Bayer
Leverkusen summed it up well. "He is ready to play for any team in the
world. Improve? What can you improve?"
As for Ziyech, at 27, he is undoubtedly in his prime. Chilwell is younger
but he has vast experience - his first appearance for Chelsea will be his
100th in the Premier League.
Star players and expectations to match.
For Lampard, it changes the job. His task now is to ensure that his own time
in charge does not come to be viewed the same way as last season: good fun
while it lasted but not the long-term solution for a club with demands
befitting that of a modern super club.
He must prove he is more than a mere placeholder.
Some of the traits that seemed so important just one year ago are less of a
priority now. Lampard has stabilised the club, reconnected with supporters,
and he has brought through some promising young players. But Pulisic and
Mount are 21 now. The next step is here.
In short, Thiago Silva is not here for a rebuild. He is here to win.
That is exactly how Lampard sees it too.
"I like the idea of players coming here who have a character, a desire, an
attitude to come and work to be a success at Chelsea," says Lampard. "Not
just to pass through, not just to come and see what happens, not to come
here because we are in London.
"I want them to want to be part of a really strong team that wants to go
places. Of course, we want talented players but I want individuals with that
mindset. Most of the things I have been involved in in football that have
been good have had characters.
"People with desire to be winners."
He understands that mentality better than most and, yes, he understands this
club. His 11 major honours at Chelsea came in a career that spanned nine
different managers.
He played and scored when the team won 6-0 against West Brom on the opening
weekend of the season a decade ago - a performance for which Carlo Ancelotti
was summoned to owner Roman Abramovich to explain himself as the display was
deemed unacceptable.
He was there when Luiz Felipe Scolari was sacked in February with Chelsea
only four points off the top of the table. He will recall former team-mate
Roberto Di Matteo's sacking just six months after leading the team to their
first and only Champions League success.
Not everyone at Chelsea enjoys these moments revisited and it is true the
circumstances have been different in each case. But this is a more accurate
reflection of the fact that this is a club that traditionally demands more
than most. The past year was the aberration. Chelsea's summer spending is a
reminder that the old rules apply once more.
The squad now looks deep. A refresh was required but after such significant
investment, Lampard must know he will be judged by new standards - the old
standards.
He will not be afraid to embrace that. Lampard is a winner by habit. His
owns standards are high and there were signs as the season progressed that
he was tiring of talk of tomorrow.
The decision to drop Kepa Arrizabalaga for Willy Caballero was ruthless.
Favouring Olivier Giroud over Abraham proof that he was not wedded to the
notion that he was some sort of development coach. Tomori hardly featured
after the turn of the year even when he was fit. Havertz has even taken his
shirt number.
Rather than perpetuate the idea that his team was 'on a journey' and
pleading patience in the way that, say, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done at
Manchester United, there have been frequent reminders when the level of
performance has fallen far short. No excuses.
Now those excuses are no longer available even if he ends up needing them.
Trophies are the currency that counts at Stamford Bridge and though it will
not be easy to compete with Liverpool and Manchester City, the ambition will
be for Lampard to do just that.
In its own way, the first season was tough. Ironically, the addition of so
many quality players makes the second season even tougher. There will be
fewer academy graduates in the Chelsea team this year on September 14. There
will be far greater expectations as a result.
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