Premier League: 5 Bold predictions for the 2019-20 season

#1 Frank Lampard and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to get sacked

Lampard's litmus test at Chelsea

Chelsea are a club that is slightly in turmoil at the moment. Despite winning the Europa League a couple of months back, the West London outfit couldn’t coax David Luiz and Eden Hazard to remain put, meaning the pair departed for Arsenal and Real Madrid respectively.

More crucially though, they were unable to overturn the transfer ban that they were slapped with, a few months prior. To add to their woes, Maurizio Sarri decided to jump onto an expensively procured yacht in Turin, thereby dumping a creaking boat in West London.

With the new manager unable to bring in fresh faces for another year, the Chelsea hierarchy turned to one of their own, in an attempt to maximise the resources at their disposal. Frank Lampard was brought on board and immediately, all eyes shifted to the Englishman’s managerial pedigree.

In 2018-19, the former Chelsea midfielder took charge of Derby County and led them to the play-off final where they Were defeated by Aston Villa. Thus, Lampard showcased his credentials in his debut season as manager. Yet, managing in the Premier League is a slightly different kettle of fish.

Though the Blues have looked impressive in pre-season, one feels that Lampard’s lack of experience and the threadbare nature of their squad could eventually lead to them missing out on the top four. And, when that happens, very rarely does Roman Abramovich not pull the trigger on the manager.

Can Solskjaer catapult Manchester United to glory?

A few hundred miles north, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is working furiously to assemble a team capable of challenging adroitly for the top four. In his fervent search of the ‘Manchester United DNA’, he landed Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Additionally, he brought Harry Maguire to Old Trafford in order to plug the holes that existed in the United rear-guard.

The pre-season results have been encouraging for the Norwegian so far. Manchester United have enjoyed a spotless pre-season and have been a bundle of energy throughout. Moreover, they’ve bought into the high-pressing idea that Solskjaer is trying to ingrain.

However, having said that, United would still be encountering problems when the season starts proper. In his little time in charge, Solskjaer has fed off the positivity of the fans and has catapulted his reputation accordingly. Yet, the jury is still out on his tactical nous and that he is just not as good some of the other managers in the league.

In addition, the Red Devils might face problems when teams start working out their primary approach. And, with Romelu Lukaku gone, goals could again start becoming a problem in the red half of Manchester.

Though Solskjaer could yet script a Pep Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane-esque managerial CV at one’s previous club, one feels that it could just be a touch out of his reach.

And, when push comes to shove in the Premier League, the Norwegian’s extreme attention to DNA might not save him. Or for that matter, even Lampard.