IT TAKES a lot to impress Frank Lampard — and rightly so after his glittering career on the pitch.
The former England midfielder played alongside and against the best so if anyone knows a player, it should be him.
Jorginho has impressed with his improved performances this seasonCredit: Getty – Contributor
Which is why Jorginho has been the first footballer in a long time to genuinely surprise Chelsea’s manager.
The Stamford Bridge side saw off Manchester City to land Jorginho from Napoli for £57.4million in July 2018.
And the moment Lamps and his No 2 Jody Morris took their new squad to two pre-season games in Ireland this summer was a landmark moment for all three.
Up until then, the two coaches had only watched Jorginho on TV, labouring away at the heart of a team constantly derided for the unpopular style of play under then manager Maurizio Sarri.
Little did Lampard know what would happen when he took the brakes off and turned a 27-year-old scapegoat into a superstar, who is now enjoying the best form of his career.
The second week of July and the build up to the first friendly game against Bohemians was a revelation.
Sources at the Bridge have said Jorginho’s work rate, energy and leadership qualities blew Lampard and Morris away.
Free of the shackles of ‘Sarriball’, the Italy international midfielder is allowed to run forwards instead of sideways and encourage and criticise his team-mates.
Jorginho’s impressive 2019/20 Premier League stats
It is appropriate Lampard found his team’s hidden jewel in the Emerald Isle.
And as Chelsea chase a club-record seventh successive away win at Manchester City this evening, no player has come such a long way in such a short time as Jorginho.
He is back from a one-game ban and for the first time this season Lampard has to try to accomodate Jorginho and French World Cup winner N’Golo Kante in his midfield.
Lamps, 41, said: “I want it to be a positive issue. Something we have done pretty well as the season has gone on is have a bit of rotation and fluidity in our game in midfield and not pinning people down so they are stuck in that position.
“I hope that can carry on and bring the best out of the abilities of all the midfield players.
“They can all be the deeper player, they can all be higher up the pitch, they all have energy to get around the pitch.
“I don’t think it is a case of putting Jorginho in a No 10 position but I think you have to give him the freedom to leave his area if he plays as a deep midfield player.
“Not just with the ball but also without it there’s a real perception and energy. So if I pin him down and in front of our back four, you don’t get those abilities and I think he has been doing that really well.”
Ironically, the numbers tell the story in a roundabout way. Jorginho’s passes, touches and tackles won rate are all down on last season.
But that is because Lampard has thrown him forward.
Jorginho has created 12 chances compared to ten under Sarri and completed 792 short passes — this time last season he had more than 1,000.
His long passing has gone through the roof, almost doubling from 39 to 73.
Not that the club’s skilful vice-captain is a hoofer but he is now launching the ball towards rampaging 11-goal striker Tammy Abraham, instead of engaging the safety catch and playing sideways.
Lampard has scaled down the demands for possession-based football and opted for a more cavalier approach that has the fans singing even in defeat — although that is becoming a forgotten feeling at the moment.
Senior coaches at Stamford Bridge have been impressed by Jorginho’s selfless approach too. To the outsider it may not seem that Jorginho is a laugh-a- minute kinda guy.
But he is viewed as ultra-polite, upbeat and, at 27, is the bridge between the hungry, young kids getting a go this season and the senior leaders in the camp.
Wise enough to play down expectations at Chelsea in an experimental year when the club cannot buy instant success, he offers a cool head in terms of ambition.
Two assists so far this campaign — the best of which was an eye-popping, curved forward ball for Abraham to score at Watford — is being talked about as the Pass of the Season.
And one that only a player at the top of his game and brimful of confidence could pull off.
The most startling statistic is Jorginho has played less under Lampard than he did with Sarri, 954 minutes compared to 968.
That includes a one-game ban, yet it feels like he has been ever present.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
