Jose Mourinho has wished Frank Lampard the best of luck ahead of his managerial debut at Chelsea – while the ex-Blues boss feels the club only have one problem to deal with ahead of the new campaign.
Eden Hazard sealed an £89m switch to Real Madrid earlier this summer, and Mourinho believes the void he has left is the only concern for his former club, after suggesting that Lampard has the potential to become a success during his time in the Chelsea hotseat.
Mourinho told Sky Sports: “It would be nice and easy for me to say, ‘I think that he is going to be a phenomenal manager’, [but] I cannot also say I don’t believe he is going to do [well] because that’s not the way I feel. I feel he has potential, I feel that he loves [the club], that’s the reason why he’s there and I wish him the best.
“Chelsea was criticised many times with the number of players they had on loan, with the players on loan in Vitesse, in Germany, in the Championship – more than 30, 40 players. But now, the moment [has] arrived, and they have answers like nobody else could have.
“The only problem for them is obvious, which is they lost a phenomenal player. Eden was a special player for Chelsea and they lost him. Apart from that, I don’t see any problems for them.”
Hazard’s contribution of 21 goals and 17 assists in the previous season leaves a sizeable goal return for Chelsea to make up for within their current squad, and there are arguably few like-for-like replacements for the Belgian winger on the left-hand side, with Callum Hudson-Odoi’s injury unlikely to help matters.
With a transfer ban in place, the club could be subject to lower expectations in the forthcoming campaign, as the Blues’ chances of securing a top-four finish are looking remote (as alluded to by Football.london) on the back of losing Hazard – as well as manager Maurizio Sarri.
But with Lampard very much left to his own devices for the year ahead without any chance of incomings, this season may well turn out to be something of a free hit – before turning their attentions to replacing Hazard next summer if no-one steps up.
