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Manchester United and Chelsea have plenty of things in common. They’re two of the biggest clubs in the Premier League, they’ve both won plenty of trophies – including multiple Premier League titles – and they routinely sign some of the best players in the world.
Right now, though, the thing they have most in common is that they both have relatively inexperienced bosses who happen to be club legends.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer famously scored the winning goal for the Red Devils in the 1999 Champions League final. But prior to taking over as their boss, his greatest managerial achievement had been winning Norway’s Tippeligaen with Molde.
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, meanwhile, stands as the Blues’ all-time leading goalscorer. He won three Premier League titles with the club as well as the Champions League, and is perhaps their greatest ever player. However, he had just one season as manager of Derby County before taking over at Stamford Bridge.
Both Solskjaer and Lampard were able to secure Champions League spots for their respective clubs in 2019-20 by finishing in the top four. However, neither United nor Chelsea came close to challenging the top two sides in the Premier League – Manchester City and Liverpool.
Since then, though – and for different reasons – both men have come under some pressure in their jobs. But overall, which of these young and relatively unproven managers is better?
Here, in an attempt to answer that question, we take a look at the abilities of Solskjaer and Lampard in five different categories.
#1 Results in the Premier League
Football management, particularly at the highest level, is a results business first and foremost. And so with that in mind, Premier League results are probably the most important category to judge both Solskjaer and Lampard in.
Interestingly, both men have very similar statistics when it comes to their Premier League results. Solskjaer obviously has a larger sample of matches to look at, as he took over at Manchester United midway through the 2018-19 campaign, while Lampard has only spent one season in the hot-seat at Chelsea.
However, the numbers remain relatively close. Solskjaer has taken charge of 62 Premier League games. He’s won 31 of them (exactly 50%), drawn 16 (26%) and lost 15 (24%). Lampard in comparison has managed 41 games, winning 21 of them (51%), drawing seven (17%) and losing 13 (31%).
Essentially then, it’s a very tight comparison. Both men have overseen some strong wins but have also seen their side beaten by opponents considered below them on the ladder. But what about matches against the other ‘Big Six’ sides?
Solskjaer has taken on the other members of the ‘Big Six’ on 16 occasions. He’s won six of those games, drawn five of them, and lost five too. Lampard, meanwhile, has a record of four wins, one draw, and six losses against his fellow ‘Big Six’ clubs.
To add to this, it’s worth noting that Solskjaer’s United defeated Lampard’s Chelsea on two occasions during 2019-20, although both matches could be marked with an asterisk.
The first saw United win 4-0, but this was Lampard’s first match in charge of the Blues. And while United ran out 0-2 winners in their second meeting, the match was marred by horrendous officiating that saw two Chelsea goals chalked off and United’s Harry Maguire inexplicably avoid a red card for violent conduct.
Overall then, you would have to say that Solskjaer has achieved the best Premier League results of the two – something that was made clear by United finishing one place above Chelsea in the 2019-20 season.
Advantage: Solskjaer
#2 Results in Europe
As United and Chelsea are two of the Premier League’s biggest clubs, routinely competing on the European stage, it’s also worth looking at the results of both managers in European competition.
In this instance, Solskjaer obviously has more experience than Lampard. He took over at Old Trafford with the Red Devils midway through a Champions League campaign, and then oversaw their Europa League efforts in 2019-20. Lampard meanwhile has managed just one Champions League campaign with Chelsea.
Of the two, Solskjaer clearly picked up the best European result when he led his United side to a stirring comeback against Paris St. Germain in the Champions League’s Round of 16. Trailing 0-2 after losing the first leg at Old Trafford, the Norwegian inspired his side to a remarkable 1-3 win at the Parc Des Princes, with Marcus Rashford’s late penalty sending United through to the Quarter-Finals.
Since then, however, United’s European results have not been so good. There was no shame in the loss to Barcelona that followed their victory over PSG, but their 2019-20 Europa League campaign was ultimately disappointing.
United made the knockout stages – but only after an embarrassing defeat to Kazakh side Astana – and then eliminated Club Brugge, LASK and Copenhagen before slumping to defeat to Sevilla in the semi-finals. Usually, a semi-final spot would be a solid achievement, but really, United should’ve been looking to win the competition, and in that sense, they failed.
Solskjaer’s European achievements still put Lampard into the shade, however. The Chelsea boss saw his side given a favourable draw in the 2019-20 Champions League, as they were placed into a group with Ajax, Valencia and Lille.
However, the Blues were upset by Valencia in their opening fixture, and had to rely on a late comeback against nine-man Ajax to secure a 4-4 draw with the Dutch side at Stamford Bridge. They made it through the group, but didn’t exactly impress, and were then hammered by Bayern Munich in the Round of 16.
Overall, Solskjaer’s Champions League experiences were brief, but in those games he still looked more at home on that stage than Lampard did, and so it’s hard not to give him the edge in this category too.
Advantage: Solskjaer
#3 Coaching Ability
As we’ve seen, both men have overseen largely mixed results with their sides, but how do Solskjaer and Lampard score when it comes to the coaching ability they’ve shown in their brief managerial careers?
Solskjaer is a tricky coach to judge simply because even in the short time he’s been in the United hot-seat, he’s overseen such peaks and troughs. Solskjaer definitely did well when he first arrived at Old Trafford. He quickly improved the toxic atmosphere of a dressing room left by a bitter Mourinho, and the team’s early results under him were proof of that.
United went on a run of 12 matches unbeaten in the Premier League following Solskjaer’s appointment. But results took a bad downturn later in the campaign, and the Red Devils ended 2018-19 with one win in their last seven matches.
Solskjaer’s side then stuttered through the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign, only to really pick up once Bruno Fernandes arrived in the January transfer window. United didn’t lose a league game following the Portuguese’s arrival and were fantastic when action commenced following the COVID-19 lockdown.
However, the final part of the campaign showed a worrying downturn in form under Solskjaer, something that’s continued into the 2020-21 season. And more worryingly, there’s a definite trend at Old Trafford that sees players arrive and play well, before stagnating and in the case of Harry Maguire, seemingly getting worse.
Based on this – and United’s massive lurches in form under him – I think it’s fair to question Solskjaer’s abilities when it comes to coaching and improving players.
But what about Lampard? As we’ve already seen, results in his first season with Chelsea were definitely up-and-down at times, with some tremendous victories offset by some embarrassing losses. However, it’s safe to say that his work with the Blues squad has largely been good.
Lampard gained a reputation for trusting in young players during his time as Derby County boss, and continued this when he arrived at Stamford Bridge. Academy products Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Reece James, Fikayo Tomori, Billy Gilmour, and Callum Hudson-Odoi all became established first-team stars under Lampard, and there’s a fair argument that all six improved dramatically under his mantle, too.
The former England midfielder has also shown himself to be ruthless when required, learning to never rely on out-of-form players and making the most of his squad. Even established players such as Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic appeared to improve under Lampard.
There are some questions to be asked about his man-management skills following Chelsea’s recent transfer activity. But for all we know, he may be able to handle a somewhat bloated squad perfectly. It’s simply a case of wait and see.
Therefore, in terms of coaching ability, Lampard must get the nod.
Advantage: Lampard
#4 Tactical Awareness
Of course, coaching ability isn’t the only thing that makes a great boss. A manager might be able to improve players dramatically on the training pitch, but unless he can make his squad work coherently to a gameplan, he’s probably onto a loser. So how do Solskjaer and Lampard score in terms of tactical awareness?
Solskjaer has thus far shown some awareness of tactical game-planning, but nearly two years into his reign at Old Trafford, it’s probably fair to question him somewhat.
Early on in his reign, Solskjaer seemed to prefer a swift counter-attacking gameplan, making the most of the pace of his full-backs, winger-forwards Marcus Rashford and Daniel James, and striker Anthony Martial.
This style worked perfectly against opponents who were willing to push forward – sides like Chelsea, Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion. But against deeper-lying opponents such as Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, Solskjaer's United struggled. They lacked the craft needed to break down a deep defence, and often slumped to disappointing losses.
The arrival of Bruno Fernandes in January 2020 changed all of that, and United were suddenly a much more dangerous attacking force. This newly-found ability to smash through defences allowed Solskjaer's men to secure big wins over Watford, Brighton, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa.
However, once he’d found his formula – Fernandes playing behind a front trio of Rashford, Martial and Mason Greenwood – Solskjaer used them in practically every minute of every game. This meant that the unit appeared to be burned out by the end of 2019-20, their goalscoring output slowing dramatically.
And as 2020-21 has begun, another issue has raised its head. Solskjaer’s side appears to have lost their ability to defend altogether – perhaps due to the fact that key members of their defence like Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw love to push forward so often. This issue led directly to United’s recent embarrassing 1-6 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
Lampard, on the whole, has favoured slightly better when it comes to tactical awareness. He’s often switched formation with his Chelsea side depending on their opposition, going from a four-man defence to a three-man unit with wing-backs on occasion.
This worked brilliantly in Chelsea’s two victories over Tottenham in 2019-20, for instance – games that saw Lampard largely outthink his former boss Jose Mourinho. Another impressive showing came in the EFL Cup in a 2-0 win over Liverpool, as Lampard trusted in the inexperienced Billy Gilmour to dictate the game from midfield. At the same time, Ross Barkley used his driving style to smash through the Reds’ centre.
However, at times, Lampard has appeared to be somewhat naive. Chelsea suffered a number of defeats against counter-attacking sides who made the most of his midfield’s lack of pace. The 3-0 defeat to Sheffield United instantly comes to mind, for instance.
And the former England midfielder has also struggled when it comes to selecting a settled defence. Chelsea used four centre-backs during 2019-20 – Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori, and Andreas Christensen – and Lampard often appeared to change them for no rhyme or reason, often regardless of form.
This could be put down to Lampard simply getting to grips with his squad, though – and so it’ll be interesting to see if he selects a more settled defence during 2020-21.
Overall then, Lampard must be favoured in this category. He’s shown himself to be an improving tactician, and unlike Solskjaer, he has been willing to make changes when required. The only knock on him is naivety – something to be expected from a manager only in his third season.
Advantage: Lampard
#5 Signings Made
While they often don’t hold as much sway as they once did, managers like Solskjaer and Lampard can still be judged by their work in the transfer market. Sure, most clubs have see a Director of Football or some committee overseeing their business. But clearly, the manager of a club is the man who needs to use any players that might be purchased.
So how do Lampard and Solskjaer stack up when it comes to the players they’ve signed and the money they’ve spent? Interestingly, like with their results, their transfer business has been quite similar.
Since taking over at United, Solskjaer has spent approximately £240m on six senior players, and has also brought in a high-profile free agent in the form of Edinson Cavani. Lampard, meanwhile, has spent approximately £221m on five senior players, and like Solskjaer, has also signed a high-profile free agent – in this instance, Thiago Silva.
Solskjaer’s most expensive signing was defender Harry Maguire. Signed from Leicester City for £80m – a world-record fee for a defender – the England international did help to shore up United’s defence. But his form began to dip towards the end of 2019-20, and he’s struggled greatly in the early part of the current campaign.
The same could be said for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Daniel James, and Bruno Fernandes, too – all of whom begun their United careers on fire before tailing off somewhat. But that may bring Solskjaer’s coaching ability into question more than anything else. And only time will tell whether Donny van de Beek and Alex Telles will follow the same pattern.
Overall though, Solskjaer has made some smart signings since taking over at United, and for the most part, he’s filled holes that needed to be filled – albeit very expensively at times.
Lampard’s transfer business is more interesting. Chelsea were banned from signing any players during his first season in charge, and so all of his purchases have come in the most recent transfer window.
Chelsea were clearly in need of a new goalkeeper to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga and a new left-back to replace Marcos Alonso. And so the signings of Edouard Mendy and Ben Chilwell clearly make sense.
However, elsewhere it appears that Lampard has overloaded his squad with attacking signings – Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, and Hakim Ziyech – for a great deal of money. But when you consider Chelsea have lost Pedro and Willian – and also sent out Ross Barkley and Michy Batshuayi on loan deals – then things don’t look overly silly.
More to the point, the two free-agent signings are worlds apart. Chelsea required an experienced centre-back to help the development of Zouma and Tomori, and so bringing in Silva – although he’s slightly past his prime – makes a lot of sense.
United’s signing of Cavani, on the other hand, is a confusing one. The Uruguayan has struggled for injuries in recent years, and the Red Devils already have a formidable front-line. How much we can blame Solskjaer for this is impossible to say, but his side surely needed strengthening elsewhere more as a priority.
Overall it’s tricky to compare in this category as the jury is still out on Lampard’s signings. However, given Solskjaer’s have largely tailed off in terms of form, I’m leaning towards giving the nod to the Chelsea boss.
Advantage: Lampard
In Conclusion...
This comparison is a fascinating one to make as both Lampard and Solskjaer have so many similarities even though the United boss appears to be under far more pressure right now than his Chelsea counterpart.
That is, of course, because not only have United made a bad start to the current season, but also because Solskjaer has been in charge at Old Trafford for longer than Lampard has been at Stamford Bridge. And so should Chelsea take a slide in form, the same pressure would probably be on the former England man.
However, based on the limited evidence we’ve got, it’s probably fair to say that Lampard just about edges Solskjaer out. Solskjaer’s results might be slightly superior, but Lampard was managing a young and inexperienced team during 2019-20. The Norwegian, on the other hand, had a team full of proven, international-level talent.
The fact that Solskjaer seems unable to get the best out of his side should be worrying for United fans – and should be more of a point of contention than the United board’s perceived lack of ambition in the transfer market.
Overall, it would appear that Solskjaer is slightly out of his depth in the United hot-seat, while Lampard is simply learning how to swim – with the hope being that he’ll become an excellent swimmer shortly. And so in conclusion, the advantage lies with the Chelsea boss.
