Football

Lampard Back to Chelsea? Why it Makes Sense

April 5, 2023 3:24 pm
Lampard Back to Chelsea? Why it Makes Sense

Former Everton manager, Frank Lampard, is being linked with a return to Chelsea as caretaker manager until the end of the season. According to several reports this afternoon, Lampard has held talks with owner Todd Boehly about taking up a temporary position in the dugout at Stamford Bridge until the end of May.

Lampard, who managed the club for 18 months between 2019 and 2021, was present at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night at Chelsea played out a 0-0 draw with Liverpool in their first game without Graham Potter. Bruno Saltar, a member of Potter’s backroom team at Chelsea, was put in charge for the fixture although he isn’t expecting to remain at the club for much longer.

A return for Lampard would be a move that nobody would have seen coming after he was sacked by Everton earlier in the season with the club embroiled in a relegation battle. While Lampard’s hands were tied to an extent at Goodison Park, the football his Everton side played left a lot to be desired.

According to the reports, in the Telegraph, Times and on TalkSport, Lampard would be open to temporarily taking the reigns at Stamford Bridge while the club’s hierarchy continues their search for a long-term replacement. Despite his failings at the club as a manager two years ago, Lampard is still very much a Chelsea legend due to his performances as a player.

Playing the waiting game

The reason why Boehly and co are wrestling with the idea of appointing a caretaker manager is because they don’t believe that any of their first-choice targets are willing to join until the summer when they can get a proper look at the squad and implement their ideas more effectively.

According to reports, the first choice on their list is Julian Nagelsmann. The 35-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best young managers in world football but has recently been let go by Bayern Munich due to mixed results this season. Ironically, the man who has replaced Nagelsmann in Munich is Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked by Boehly earlier this season to make way for Graham Potter.

Chelsea have held extensive talks with Nagelsmann and his representatives over the past couple of weeks but no agreement has yet been found. Today, another contender, Luis Enrique, has flown in from Spain to hold face-to-face talks with the Chelsea board. The ex-Spain and Barcelona manager is also keen on the job but wouldn’t want to take over until the summer.

In addition to Nagelsmann and Enrique, Boehly wants to talk to as many as seven other candidates to ensure he gets the right man. By appointing a caretaker until May, he will be giving himself time to ensure the best decision is made.

History to repeat itself?

In 2012, Chelsea fired Andre Villas-Boas from the managerial hot seat and replaced him with Roberto Di Matteo on a temporary basis. However, the Italian exceeded all expectations and lead Chelsea to their first Champions League Trophy by beating the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich along the way.

While Boehly isn’t currently considering Lampard as a long-term option, if the Englishman is appointed as caretaker and manages to repeat the feat achieved by Di Matteo eleven years ago then he may force the owner’s hand.

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