Chelsea could be set to finish outside the top half for the first time since 1995/96 after a disappointing campaign, to say the least.

With European qualification probably out of the equation, interim Blues boss Frank Lampard will now just be looking to give the supporters something to cheer about between now and the end of the season.

We spoke with Sky Sports' Joe Shread to get his thoughts ahead of the west London clash.

Chelsea are 11th in the Premier League table going into Wednesday’s game, though they do have a game in hand on many of the teams around them. How would you summarise their season so far?

Quite frankly - disastrous. Chelsea have sacked two managers - at great expense - and will now end the season under an interim manager who has lost his first four games in charge.

That is not to mention the record spending the new owners have sanctioned on new players, very few of whom have even begun to justify their transfer fees.

Even the majority of standout performers from previous campaigns have lost their form. It has been a season to forget for Chelsea.

As you mentioned, Frank Lampard returned as caretaker earlier this month but has lost all four of the games he’s taken charge of to date. What did you make of the decision to bring him back to Stamford Bridge?

I would say surprising but, given everything else that had happened at Chelsea during the previous 12 months, they are a club that have lost the capacity to surprise. 

It was an appointment that came out of the blue and it is hard to shake the feeling that Lampard was brought back to appease the fans, who had begun to question some of the owners’ decisions.

Appointing a club legend to see the club through until the end of the season may have seemed like a solid idea, but Lampard had underwhelmed towards the end of his first spell in charge and been sacked by relegation-threatened Everton just months before returning to Stamford Bridge.

So far, it is looking to be another wrong turn by Todd Boehly and Co.

As things stand, the Blues could finish outside the top half for the first time since 1995/96. Is it fair to say the priority for the remainder of the season is simply finishing as high as possible?

With European qualification - even for the Europa Conference League - probably out of the equation, it is hard to see what Chelsea are playing for between now and the end of the season.

Ensuring a top-half finish in the Premier League is probably the realistic extent of the team’s ambitions, whereas supporters will likely say they just want to see some fight from the players.

Claiming a win over west London rivals Brentford would be a start, as would taking a result at the Emirates to help derail Arsenal’s title push next week.

With Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle still to come on the fixture list, Blues fans will be desperate for their team just to avoid any more embarrassments.

Which player should Brentford fans be keeping an eye on on Wednesday night?

There are not too many players to choose from given how things have been going at Chelsea!

It sounds like an obvious one, given he is a world-class player, but having N’Golo Kante back has been a rare piece of good news for Lampard.

The midfielder is not yet at peak performance - which is understandable given he was out for seven months - but impressed in an unfamiliar advanced role against Real Madrid last week.

Kante will only get better the more he plays and brings some much-needed substance to Chelsea’s midfield.

How is Lampard likely to set up his side at Stamford Bridge?

That is very hard to predict given Lampard has changed formations in each of his four games in charge so far.

The interim head coach played a back three in the Champions League games against Real Madrid, but a back four in the Premier League matches against Wolves and Brighton.

Following that theme, reverting to a back four seems likely, particularly given Chelsea will be expected to try to control the game against Brentford in front of their own fans.

What will be interesting to see is whether Lampard continues to pick players who are unlikely to form part of Chelsea’s future, given there is very little left to play for this season.

What’s your score prediction?

Given Chelsea’s record of scoring one goal in their last six games, plus their struggles against Brentford in the clubs’ last two meetings, 1-0 to the Bees does not seem far-fetched.