Frank Lampard’s tenure as Chelsea boss ended in January 2021 on less than ideal terms. The Blues club legend showed much promise in his first season at the helm of the club in his first season as he led it to a top-four finish.
However, his lack of experience started to show in the 2020/21 season as his lack of experience and man-management skills became apparent.
There were some positive developments in Lampard’s reign as manager of the club.
The following are three players that he transformed for the better.
Tammy Abraham
Prior to the start of the 2019/20 season, there were doubts over whether Abraham was good enough to play in the Premier League. Whilst, the striker had shone in the Championship in two different stints with Bristol City and Aston Villa, his only prior experience in the Premier League was a failed spell with Swansea City which yielded just five goals from 31 league appearances.
Abraham went on to score 15 league goals last season from 34 appearances. Whilst he has struggled to score regularly this season, he did prove under Lampard that he is more than good enough to play in the English top-flight.
Even if Abraham ends up leaving Stamford Bridge, it’s unlikely that he will return to the Championship.
Mason Mount
Mount had no English Premier League experience prior to last season, however he did work under Lampard as the two worked together at Derby County in the 2018/19 season.
Lampard took a big decision by including the youngster in his Premier League plans for last season and moreover, playing him regularly.
Mount held his own in the top-flight and even went on to become a key part of the England team. After Lampard’s sacking, some suggested that Mount was a favourite of the former Chelsea manager.
However, he has held his own under Thomas Tuchel, proving the naysayers wrong.
Jorginho
Jorginho was cited as being a problem when Maurizio Sarri was manager of the Blues and the club struggled to achieve consistency.
Under Lampard, he became more than a one-dimensional figure and became a key part of the club’s midfield.