Chelsea: Lampard must select players based on form, not price tag

Much has been made about Chelsea’s starting XIs recently, but one thing is certain and that’s the fact Frank Lampard needs to start disregarding price tags.

After suffering a humiliating 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Boxing Day, Chelsea probably won’t be challenging for the Premier League title this season. The team is simply not consistent enough to compete with the other top clubs, specifically Liverpool, and that is not going to change by May. The Blues can look like the most prolific side in England when they are at their best, but until they play their best week-in and week-out, they don’t stand much of a chance.

A big issue for Chelsea in recent weeks has been Frank Lampard’s team selection. It seems as though he doesn’t have a real plan when it comes to the starting XI and substitutions. These decisions, especially against the Gunners, have been perplexing to say the least. This is not to say that Lampard should be sacked, because he shouldn’t be, but he needs to take some responsibility for the Blues’ poor form.

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The biggest conundrum with the team selection at the moment is that Lampard clearly feels pressure to start the high-profile summer signings, despite the fact that they’re out of form. This is specifically the case with Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, neither of whom have scored in the league since Werner’s goal against Sheffield United on November 7. It’s obvious from watching the two German internationals play that their respective confidences are shaken, which is having a detrimental effect on the rest of the starters.

It should be said that Lampard is not wrong for feeling like he has to start Havertz and Werner, as their collective cost of around £120 million makes it hard to justify keeping them on the bench. However, for the betterment of the team overall, Lampard has to recognize that he has more in-form players available who deserve at least a chance to show what they can do.

The Arsenal defeat is a great example of this troubling predicament. Lampard started Werner on the wing in favor of Callum Hudson-Odoi, who had missed some time with a hamstring injury, but was ready to go at the start of the match. The German striker spent 45’ looking frustrated and out of place before being subbed for the English playmaker, who immediately brought a new energy onto the pitch. Had Hudson-Odoi been in the starting XI, Chelsea might not have been behind by two goals at halftime.

Later in the match, when the Blues were just launching crosses into the box, Lampard had the option to bring on Olivier Giroud, a striker with a track record of turning in goals with his meaty French forehead. However, he decided to replace N’Golo Kante, who had been one of the team’s few bright spots up to that point, with Havertz. The 21-year-old was basically invisible for the 14’ he was on the pitch, and Chelsea’s aerial bombardment continued without any real impact. Giroud would have been the perfect substitute in that situation, and his motivation to score against his former club was likely at an all-time high.

Lampard does not deserve all of the blame for the Blues’ poor play in three of their previous four matches. He can only do so much from the sidelines, although it would be fantastic to see Super Frank don the legendary blue shirt once again to save the season. Ultimately, though, Lampard’s substitution patterns and team selection overall have left supporters scratching their heads at times.

Continuing to force Werner and Havertz onto the pitch is only going to hurt the team’s chemistry in the long-term. Going forward, the manager needs to pick players based on form, rather than price tag.