Lampard’s job ‘under serious threat’ as Chelsea explore ‘alternative plans’ — report

No sooner did the final whistle blow at Stamford Bridge than somebody at The Athletic hit the button to publish and tweet the story about Frank Lampard’s job being “under serious threat”.

Expected story is expected. Today’s 3-1 home defeat to Manchester City is our fourth in our last six games, leaving us stranded in mid-table, looking up at far too many teams between us and even the top four, let alone the title challenge. The Premier League may be more congested than normal, but that means that each and every point is precious and potentially very important. The gaps remain small, but there are twice as many teams as usual vying for those top positions.

In any case, the report claims that it’s a “fluid” situation and Chelsea don’t have a “definitive timeframe” but Chelsea “have begun to explore alternative plans with a view to replacing Lampard if the current slump continues, if not sooner”.

Well, it’s been a fun 18 months without too much managerial strife. Welcome back, old friend.