Former Chelsea boss Glenn Hoddle has advised the club on what to do if they wish to be challenging for the Premier League title again in the near future.
The Blues have had a decent season thus far, as they remain in fourth place in the Premier League table in the battle to qualify for the Champions League.
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Further, they are still in the hunt for the FA Cup as Frank Lampard eyes his first trophy as boss, and so it could yet turn out to be a positive first campaign in charge for the club legend.
However, from their transfer ban last summer to their inactivity in January, Lampard has yet to be given the chance to stamp his mark on the squad with new signings.
Hoddle believes that it’s crucial he’s allowed to dictate which players are brought in to strengthen his squad, as he believes that if he’s given that freedom and trust, he could turn Chelsea into contenders again sooner rather than later.
“For me, Frank needs a clear transfer policy to take his team forward,” he is quoted as writing in a new book by the Sun. “He has been getting it right on the training pitch, on the football side, but the next big phase for him will be how the club operate in the transfer market.
“If Frank gets the players he wants, not the players someone else wants, he has an excellent chance, in two or three years’ time, of having the right squad and the right team to challenge for the Premier League title.
“Chelsea have to treat Frank exactly the way Liverpool treated Jurgen Klopp, give him the time to rebuild, give him the players he wants.”
It’s sound advice from Hoddle but it remains to be seen if Lampard is given that trust and flexibility in the summer and beyond by the board to take the club forward.
His work with the younger players this season has been impressive, but adding experience and quality to the squad will be crucial to add a balance and to help them compete at the top level across multiple fronts in the coming years.
Lampard knows the way he wants his side to play and which players will help them do that, and so Hoddle is arguably spot in his advice for the club as it will surely help the continuation of the progress made since the Chelsea legend was appointed as manager last year rather than disrupt it by not giving him a significant say on who the money is being spent on.