Frank Lampard is the manager who has forgotten how it feels to win – and there is no sign of the emergency handbrake.
Remarkably, Lampard has lost 13 of his last 14 games as head coach at Everton and Chelsea, and the other was a 1-1 draw at Manchester City. Former Tottenham messiah Mauricio Pochettino expected to take over in the summer after verbally agreeing terms with Blues owner Todd Boehly. But Poch Spice could be inheriting the worst team in Chelsea's Premier League history.
After suffering five consecutive defeats on his second coming in the Stamford Bridge dugout, Lampard's Blues are on course to finish the season with their lowest points tally in the last 30 years – which is currently 50, the low bar set in 1995-96 and 20 years later.
And four of their last six games are against the top four – three of them away from home - starting with a trip to wounded leaders Arsenal on Tuesday.
Lampard shrugged: “That’s the reality, a really tough run-in. There's no point looking further than the next one, which is Arsenal. The team has to be motivated because there’s a lot on it.
“When I came back I didn't (set) a bar because I understood there would be challenges behind the scenes, and that’s been clear. In a short time frame it’s hard to get that turn, and I haven’t got it yet.”
Chelsea were booed off after Wednesday night's toothless 2-0 home defeat by Brentford, and Lampard admitted: “Absolutely they are worried - if you’re a Chelsea fan, you’re used to 20 years of success and you want more.
“I’ve no problem with fans booing. I will defend the players because I know they are young players who want to do well.
“Is there an issue with confidence and the balance of the squad? Yes. Are they dynamic enough in the final third? No. But those things won't change overnight.”
Although they dominated possession against Brentford, the lack of cutting edge – just 30 goals in 32 games – was glaring again, and confidence is draining from the players like bathwater when the plug's out.
Defender Trevoh Chalobah admitted: “For me, being here since I was young as well, it’s difficult to see the club I’ve supported all my life is in a difficult situation now.
“But we’ve got to stick together. It’s obviously a difficult moment for us, for the team, and everyone’s feeling it right now.
“Obviously we’re not looking as sharp as we want to look up front. We had a lot of possession, a lot of control of the game, but at the end of the day the ball didn’t go in the net. It’s all good having possession, but we need to put our chances away.
“The application’s there, and we know what it means to play for the club, but it’s just a difficult moment for us in front of goal at the minute. I can’t really give an explanation for that.”
England midfielder Conor Gallagher told the club's matchday programme: “There's always a lot of questions around why we are playing the way we are, and everyone's frustrated about it.
“There's a determination to put Chelsea back where we should be. No-one is happy with how it's gone this season, it hurts everyone at the club as much as the fans.”
