Frank Lampard's message at Chelsea has been consistent since he joined as interim manager. This is not his time to develop players for the sake of it or look for the long-term future of the club but to simply navigate through until the end of the season.
Chelsea are nearly there with just two games to go but there isn't much to look forward to. Despite playing the top two sides in the league in the past month things don't get any easier to finish off this treacherous campaign. A second away trip to Manchester in four days awaits before ending with a home clash against Newcastle.
Both sides have points to prove, a Champions League fate and league positions to play for and, above all, fans to please. Chelsea have none of this. Taking six points from the end of season games would make little difference to if they were to see it out in typical 2022/23 style with no points.
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For Lampard and the players there is pride at stake, sure. Some of the group have no future at the club past this season, though, and that has been evident throughout the tough spells. Fans have rallied against their own players and made the disconnect and distrust in the decision makers clear. There is cautious optimism that the situation may change over the summer.
In Mauricio Pochettino Chelsea are getting a manager capable of rebuilding the side and being brutal in his axing of those he doesn't see fit for purpose. That goes hand-in-hand with the clearout expected of the club's senior players when the transfer window opens next month.
Before that, Lampard has a chance to set things going in the right direction. Even with nothing tangible to get from these matches the record can be started here. Preparation for next season is already underway so games played before then are in the same vein.
Chelsea can still earn an extra £2million from finishing 11th but that is a small bonus compared to what could be achieved with some bigger, bolder choices. Lewis Hall's two consecutive starts, for example. His minutes benefit Chelsea and Pochettino much more in the long run than starting Christian Pulisic or Hakim Ziyech as a makeshift wing-back, for example.
It is why there have been so many frustrated voices when those two, and Joao Felix in particular, have been awarded time on the pitch in recent weeks when Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk have not. These are cases that are perfectly clear to many with who is staying and who is going. It makes Lampard's selections puzzling, especially with the financial prize from three points being so miniscule.
This is also a historic issue that has caused Chelsea issues in the past. As pointed out by Twitter user Chelsea Youth, the lack of pathway afforded to younger players even in the final knockings of a season has been embarrassing and unhelpful. Ross Barkley and Kennedy were both afforded game time in the last home match of last year, for example. Both players left less than three months later.
Whereas there was a chance to give opportunities to some of the bright academy stars such as Harvey Vale or even Hall himself: loanee Saul Niguez played. Current Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi was an unused substitute on the final day before whereas other loanees were played instead. At the easiest time to send a message of potential progression, Chelsea have failed to offer comfort to those in the youth set-up.
It has played its role in the eventual sales of Tino Livramento and Guehi before they got an appearance for the club, with both academy stars unwilling to sign a new deal. Who can blame them?
This time round there is even less excuse to not use Hall and England Under-20s teammate Carney Chukwuemeka. Both players were kept behind from the youth World Cup group stages to act as first team cover and have received some minutes. Chukwuemeka particularly has been frozen out from proceedings since the turn of the year.
He is now a loan option heading into the summer, football.london understands, but with two games left there is no damage that can be done if he was to get a chance to start in both games. It could, for Pochettino, be the difference in his attitude when returning for the summer, confidence or even playing levels if he manages to put on a show.
The other thing to take into account is that by affording minutes to the young players, who are evidently more sellable than the older pros on higher wages, that the potential future value rises and will far outweigh the £2million per position that is gained from winning games.
What this also assumes is that in the younger players Chelsea are being weakened rather than actually strengthening their team. In their worst season in a generation, the more experienced, higher paid players have failed consistently whereas Hall has been a shining light when afforded the chance.
At a time that fans are desperate for a cause to get behind they recognise, Cobham's finest are a great way to do just this and the proof is in the pudding. Tammy Abraham was a fan favourite despite his limitations and many would be happy to see him play in Blue again. 'Reece James, he's one of our own,' is a popular chant at Stamford Bridge and the widespread admiration for Ruben Loftus-Cheek is clear.
With nothing to play for on the face of it, these are minutes and chances that would be cherished by the players that have been for so long ignored at this stage of the season. Playing a competitive fixture at Old Trafford isn't a realistic chance for many in the development system, and they will never be in a game there under less pressure than this one.
Not allowing the younger players an opportunity doesn't just fail to raise their stock, either, it also has a trickle down effect to other youth players that may start to look elsewhere at an earlier stage. Promising academy attacker Tudor Mendel-Idowu is set to leave the club before he has come close to a debut despite being one of the best performers in his age group, for example.
If there is a precedent set, which there really hasn't been since Lampard's initial youth injection in 2019, then players such as Mendel-Idowu or Livramento may be more likely to commit to the club, take the loans away and dedicate themselves to the cause rather than seeking more immediate options elsewhere.
For a club that has the depth and quality of Cobham there is not enough seen of it still. The warnings have been there in the past and are becoming a more consistent message. Lampard has the chance to leave another small piece in the Chelsea mosaic and legacy by giving chances to those who have dreamt and worked towards a Chelsea debut, not giving pity minutes to others that are on their way out.
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