Frank Lampard reveals he’s not surprised by Chelsea’s inconsistency this season… as the Blues struggle to find form in Mauricio Pochettino’s first term

Frank Lampard said he was not surprised by Chelsea’s inconsistent first season under Mauricio Pochettino.

Lampard temporarily returned to the Stamford Bridge dugout at the end of last season, following the sacking of Graham Potter, before Pochettino took over in the summer.

Chelsea’s campaign has been frustrating by the Blues’ usual standards, sitting ninth in the Premier League table and struggling to reach Europe via the league.

However, winning the FA Cup would give Pochettino’s Chelsea a place in Europe next season, regardless of their league standings, and ahead of the semi-final against Manchester City, Lampard told the BBC he was not surprised by their difficulties this season.

Lampard said: “I think small steps are a good thing. It’s the season of baby steps. I’m not surprised how the team was put together.

Mauricio Pochettino has struggled to achieve consistency within the Blues since taking charge

“A run of eight games without losing, without getting beaten, is good for confidence. In these games you always see the inconsistency where they can’t control a play.

“Maybe a confidence in Cole Palmer who has been absolutely outstanding for them. A bit of momentum is a good thing. They won the last game 6-0 and they will feel good, it’s obviously a huge challenge for them today.

The Blues scored six against Everton without reply on Monday night, but still managed to create negative headlines following a three-way penalty showdown between Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke and Palmer, which ultimately saw him caught and scored his fourth of the match. game.

Chelsea continue their momentum, with five wins and three draws since their defeat in the Carabao Cup final at the end of February.

Lampard proved himself to be a club legend with his performances in midfield at Chelsea between 2001 and 2014.

He returned to Stamford Bridge as manager between 2019 and 2021, and stepped in temporarily for the end of last season, as the Blues have seen a carousel of bosses in recent years.

Lampard added to the BBC: “I understood the difficulties that awaited any new manager. There was going to be a great team that turned around. It had to happen.

Lampard claimed Cole Palmer had become the “backbone” of the team thanks to his performances.

Lampard returned to the Blues dugout at the end of last season before Pochettino took over.

“I don’t think there are any attitude problems with young players who want to do well for Chelsea.

“Bringing that many players together at a club as huge as Chelsea who have been waiting to win and win and win for 20 years, it’s difficult to get rid of.

“He (Pochettino) is trying to remind everyone that it’s a completely different Chelsea.

“They don’t have a backbone of players you can rely on. Cole Palmer has become something of a backbone unto himself.

“When you really analyze, sometimes you come to the conclusion that we need to develop these players, so sometimes time because they were bought during their development – or that we need to sign players who can be finishers at the top from the field because that’s what the best teams do, or from the back of the field.

Later, he added: “We talk a lot about the owners. They certainly have big intentions to succeed here. They came and tried in these two years, there were mistakes in the balance of the team.

“You look at the team and think, ‘How do we balance this within the team in terms of the age of the team and all that?’ Those things need to be looked at.

“The man who works with them every day is Mauricio. If they have confidence in him, think about how do you want to play, what do we want to look like? How can we change to achieve the reality of being better.

Pochettino is ‘the man who works with them every day’ as Chelsea attempt to control a big team

Alan Shearer claimed Chelsea ownership ‘seems quite chaotic and crazy at times’

Alan Shearer, another BBC pundit, said: ‘From the outside it seems quite chaotic and crazy sometimes, the recruitment and the length of contracts and all that.’

After the semi-final at Wembley, Chelsea will play consecutive away matches in the Premier League against Arsenal and Aston Villa.