How Frank Lampard can improve his 4-3-3 system

- A Short Thread -

As we all know Chelsea have been poor this season, I think this is mainly due to the Lampard being tactically inept. The attacking patterns are predictable and the system isn’t working.

Here I’ll quickly explain how Chelsea can improve his 4-3-3 and the problems with it right now. This thread will include the 3-4 main problems (I’ll add the others later) and my personal solutions to them.

- The Problems -

- A System Mixup // Full Back issues
- Using inverted wingers and attacking 8s // Half-Space congestion
- Spacing in the midfield and pressing organisation
- Predictable attacking patterns (Will be added by tomorrow)

Lampard obviously wants to play attacking football but he’s going way too overboard when it comes to getting men forward. Let’s start with how Lampard lines us up:

Problem 1:

- A System Mixup // Full Back issues -

It seems Lampard wants to stick to his attacking 8s but why are we leaking goals all of a sudden ?

Well I think it’s due to the amount of players we allow to get forward.

The fact that Lampard allows his full backs to get forward means that we have 7 players in and around the box.

This is a rough idea of how we attack:

The amount of crowding on the flanks and lack of spacing is just poor. Look at the amount of space left in behind and half the time Kante doesn’t even hold his positioning due to his urge to work hard high up the pitch and win the ball back, this makes us extremely vulnerable...

at the back. Frank has basically taken Pep’s 17/18 attacking 8s and Klopp’s attacking full backs to then merge them into one attack. This doesn’t work at all.

Klopp’s attacking full backs have support from the midfield 3 as they don’t commit to the attack. Pep has inverted full backs instead and here's some reasons as to why...

Pep uses inverted full backs for the following reasons:

- Provides defensive support to the attacking 8s
- Attracts the opposition wingers to tuck- in centrally which leaves the flanks open
- Another defensive line and help supports DM

Solution 1:

We basically have 2 solutions to problem 1. We can either use conservative 8s or inverted full backs, I think the inverted full backs are the way to go, that way we can utilise Kai Havertz’s attacking quality whilst using Reece in a similar position he used to play.

Here’s what it may look like:

So in attack this is a 2-3-5 but we can see a problem with Ziyech and Havertz which leads me perfectly on to my next point...

Problem 2:

- Using inverted wingers and attacking 8s // Half-Space congestion -

I believe the reason that Havertz has been underwhelming this season is due to many factors but the main one for me is the congestion in the half space due to Ziyech operating in a similar...

position and also a lack of attacking freedom. Here’s where the problem is:

Solution 2:

There’s pretty much only one solution I can think of and that is to stop playing Ziyech when Havertz is an attacking 8 vice versa. We all know Havertz links up with Tammy and Hudson-Odoi very well but Ziyech needs to operate in the same...

position as Havertz to attack effectively, which therefore limits him attacking the box more often.

Having a natural wide forward who is capable of hugging the touchline which leaves the right half-space free for Havertz...

to attack and let him express his attacking talent and quality. CHO also provides just as much creativity on the flank as Ziyech does but he obviously does provide an extra angle for runners at the back post which is why we can use him against low blocks.

Here’s what it looks like:

Much more organised and structured in each line !

Now we have wide forwards that can take on taking players on 1v1.The wide players can create whilst being a direct goal threat makes us very balanced in the wide areas...

The attacking 8s capable of running the channels and with support of the inverted full backs we’d be able to stay defensively compact and solid.

Problem 3:

- Spacing in the midfield and pressing organisation -

Lampard wants us to impress with high intensity but what he needs to learn is organization, not to just run around for the ball like headless chickens.

Just look at this horrendous positioning and organisation and may I just say, in order for this system to operate in effect, players must be coached and positionally disciplined. This is obviously the exact opposite and as we can see @nomifooty has questioned the style of..

pressing. There's no Solution 3 part other than the fact that Lampard needs to start thinking about this. He isn’t pressing with any identity, the midfield isn’t balanced and it looks a mess, and he needs to fix up.

Problem 4:

- Predictable attacking patterns -

Every Chelsea fan knows how annoying it is when all we do is constantly whip crosses into the box instead of making use of the central space and attacking down the middle. (will finish it tommorow)...