'It's not easy to switch it on' - Frank Lampard admits he 'doesn't know' if Chelsea will bounce back from nightmare 2022-23 campaign next season

Posted Thursday, May 25, 2023 by Goal.com

Frank Lampard admits he is not sure if Chelsea can bounce back from their woeful Premier League campaign to challenge for trophies again next season.

WHAT HAPPENED? The Blues have endured a horrendous campaign which has left them sitting 12th in the Premier League table heading into their last two games of the season. The west London side have gone through three coaches over the course of 2022-23, having sacked Thomas Tuchel early on before replacing Graham Potter with Lampard.

WHAT THEY SAID: Chelsea fans hope they are in for a better season next time around, but Lampard says it will be tough to get them back in shape, telling reporters: "The Premier League moves on very fast, everyone is moving on and trying to do the same thing and you see the emergence of Newcastle, Brighton and Aston Villa and these teams that are getting themselves in that equation now.

"My experience of football is that if you switch it off, it's not easy to switch it on. It doesn't always become an overnight remedy. It's not going to be my responsibility but from my experience of being in a consistent performing club for many years, the moments you do switch off become very hard to switch it on. That will be the test next year."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Much better was expected of Chelsea after co-owner Todd Boehly's takeover last year. The club splashed out on big signings such as Wesley Fofana, Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella last summer, while Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke arrived in January.

WHAT NEXT? The Blues will take on Manchester United on Thursday before finishing the season with a home game against Newcastle on Sunday.