Ole Gunnar Solskjaer vs. Frank Lampard: Who is the better manager? | Premier League 2020-21

#3 Coaching Ability

Players like Tammy Abraham have shown a marked improvement under Lampard.

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

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#4 Tactical Awareness

The signing of Bruno Fernandes allowed Solskjaer to develop his counter-attacking style further.

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