Chelsea accepts the challenge from Madrid in hopes of a Champions League miracle.
Frank Lampard aims to repeat Roberto Di Matteo's victory from 2012, but defeating the European kings is the most difficult task.
The Miracle of Frank Lampard would have to be the name of the event. It would be the improbable story of the person leading Everton into the Championship getting a new job three months later and, against all reason, being asked to save the team he knows best before orchestrating a string of shocking upsets and finishing the season as the interim head coach who led Chelsea to the most unlikely of Champions League victories.
It would be the most recent illustration of how unpredictable and perplexing football can be. That would be a case of passion triumphing over reality, a call to the spirit of 2012, and the kind of material that is ideal for a 10-part Netflix documentary.
Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali turned to the camera and said, "This was the plan all along: buy the club, fire Thomas Tuchel, and talk about the long term after hiring Graham Potter; then, after spending nearly £600 million, build a squad of more than 30 players, fire Potter after seven months, put one of his assistants in charge for a game, fall into the bottom half of the Premier League, and finish the season with a manager who was only available after being fired by
Regrettably, such is Chelsea's current situation as they prepare to go to the Bernabéu on Wednesday for the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal match against Real Madrid. In actuality, there is no big picture. There was talk of concern last week as Chelsea rushed to find a replacement for Potter. A thorough search for a new manager is underway, but what about the club's finances? They have little chance of making it to Europe through league play, and some inside the game think Chelsea will sell quite a few players this summer due to mounting Financial Fair Play worries after the last reports revealed losses of £121 million.
Thus Lampard enters, providing a nice dose of nostalgia after being given the responsibility of managing Chelsea's final chance to compete in the Champions League the following year. It's a joyful appointment that brings back happy memories of European triumphs when Roberto Di Matteo was interim manager 11 years ago. It has the capacity to be a fantastic tale.
But it is clearly a shot in the dark from Chelsea’s board. They are laying a bet on an illusory notion that Lampard, who was not up to the task the first time around and whose replacement won the Champions League four months after he took over, can coax a tune out of this overstuffed group.
Early indications are not encouraging. In Lampard's return game, Chelsea struggled and scarcely made any offensive plays as they lost to Wolves 1-0. Given that they are on their fourth manager of the season, it is not surprising if they lack identity. These athletes are pleading for guidance. Some of them may recall how swiftly Tuchel found success after taking over for Lampard in January 2021. Lampard, who has only been in command for a few days, must demonstrate his ability to lead and organise under similar stress.
The 44-year-old will be familiar with some of the issues. During Lampard's 27-month absence, some of the faces have changed, but the lack of attack bite is still present. The differences from Madrid are striking. While Chelsea waits for Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk to live up to their transfer costs, Kai Havertz to establish consistency, and Joo Félix to find his shooting form, Carlo Ancelotti's team can depend on Karim Benzema for goals and Vincius Jnior for incisive wing play.
Well, they are all excellent athletes. Yet, Chelsea has scored 29 goals in 30 league games, so Lampard's tactical prowess must be another area of concern. Under his leadership, Everton and Chelsea were both chaotic and open. Has he changed? Can Lampard devise a method to defeat Ancelotti? Can he figure out a way to take the midfield away from Luka Modric? Will he be able to halt Vincius' attacks down the left?
After using a 4-3-3 against Wolves, switching back to a back three would probably be the wisest course of action. It would then be up to Chelsea to decide whether to play the 3-4-3 formation that defeated Borussia Dortmund in the previous round or the 3-5-2 formation that enabled them to control the 0-0 draw with Liverpool last week. The former has the advantage of allowing Chelsea to take use of Sterling's speed on the break, while the latter enables Mateo Kovacic, Enzo Fernández, and N'Golo Kanté to counter Madrid's midfield three.
A back three in either case enables Chelsea to fully utilise its wingbacks, Ben Chilwell and Reece James. It might work. Madrid thrashed Barcelona 4 to 0 last week and destroyed Liverpool in the round of 16. Yet Tuchel’s Chelsea almost knocked them out at this stage last year. There's a chance. Chelsea still have enough talent to cause problems and, although Madrid are favourites, knockout football means the best team do not always win the Champions League.
But comparisons to 2012 go only so far. That was a battle-hardened Chelsea. They were formed by peak José Mourinho and had Petr Cech in goal, Ashley Cole, Branislav Ivanovic and John Terry in defence, Lampard in midfield, Didier Drogba up front. They could win games, and cups, through sheer force of will.
The current version does not belong in the same conversation. This Chelsea shrink under pressure, lack a No 9 and have no clear plan. Where are the characters? Lampard could do with some emerging in Madrid. Otherwise Boehly and Eghbali can forget about dreams of a fairytale ending.
