After a \u00a3200 million close-season spending spree last year, Chelsea received a jab in the arm being touted as genuine title contenders, having looked capable of justifying the hype and game for the challenge when they won with panache against Leeds and emerged top of the table in December.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately the air in the Blues’ balloon began to fizzle out, with their grand ambitions now more than modestly scaled down after a lamentable run of four defeats in their last six league games.<\/p>\n
Hovering anxiously 10 points off the top and six adrift of the top four, Chelsea are now placed ninth, leaving boss Frank Lampard frantic over his sudden predicament.<\/p>\n
Apart from Hakim Ziyech beset by fitness issues, fellow new arrivals Timo Werner and Kai Havertz are having their own struggles adapting to English football, causing Lampard to chop and change his attack formations with alarming frequence.<\/p>\n
With the pending Saturday west London derby against an improving Fulham another potential landmine, the heavily vexed Chelsea boss must find a winning formula soon as there\u2019s already talk circulating that former Chelsea boss Avram Grant could be drafted in to ‘assist’, which could have its own negative implications for Lampard.<\/p>\n
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