Roman Abramovich will be reluctant to sack Jose Mourinho says Frank Lampard

Former Blues favourite Lampard, the club's all-time record goalscorer, has been mystified by Chelsea's problems in the Barclays Premier League this season.

Rather than mount a challenge to defend their title, Chelsea are languishing just one point outside the relegation zone after a 2-1 defeat at Leicester on Monday.

Lampard insists Chelsea need to snap out of their slump, and s aid on Sky Sports 1: "It has to change right now

Whether it's attitude or performance or something else, it has to change."

He cannot see owner Abramovich rushing to dismiss Mourinho, whose side have lost nine Premier League games already in this campaign, but believes the Russian will be concerned

"He's probably looking at it very closely

Obviously we've been here before with Chelsea when managers change midway through the season," Lampard said

"I don't know how many times you can do that

We had some good results from doing it before but we had a different set of players at that point.

"But I have to say what they set out to do when Jose Mourinho came back was to have a long-term plan

What can they gain by getting rid of him now?

"They are probably not going to make the top four anyway or the top six

They're not going to get relegated I think if we are honest so I'm sure there's a view from Roman Abramovich to say, 'Hang on, let's see what happens at the end of the season'.

"Why make a rash change that can't really affect the year that much and then see where we are at the end of the year."

Source : PA

Source: PA