Under the guidance of Frank Lampard, Chelsea have lost all five of their last games in all competitions – they now sit in 12th position in the Premier League table, just nine points above the drop zone.

By Chelsea’s lofty standards, this is a particularly poor run of form – so poor, in fact, that some Chelsea supporters have begun to call for Lampard to be sacked – less than a month after he was given the job.

Under Lampard this season, Chelsea have played five, lost five. On top of this, they have also scored just one goal with him at the helm.

The notion to sack Lampard at such a late stage may seem ridiculous, as just four games remain in the current Premier League season – but it certainly isn’t without recent precedent. Leeds United appointed Javi Gracia in late February, but are already set to replace him with former West Ham and Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce.

However, Leeds’ position is very different to Chelsea. The Whites are currently fighting for their Premier League lives – while relegation isn’t mathematically impossible for the Blues, it is extremely unlikely (even if they lose all of their remaining league games).

As such, despite Lampard’s dismal record, a knee-jerk appointment at this stage would be rash. Chelsea should instead look towards next season and try to make sure they get the right man for the job, rather than simply appointing one at the drop of a hat.