- Blues legend back at Stamford Bridge
- Sacked by Everton in January
- Has struggled to convince in the dugout
WHAT HAPPENED? The Blues legend inherited the reins at Stamford Bridge for the second time in his coaching career when an SOS call was put out in his direction. Chelsea, having already parted company with Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter in the 2022-23 campaign, needed somebody to steady the ship at Stamford Bridge. Lampard has been unable to do that, with five successive defeats suffered, and there have been suggestions that he may struggle to land another position after already being dumped once by Chelsea and by Everton back in January.
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WHAT THEY SAID: Quizzed on the criticism he continues to attract and whether he has any fears regarding future work in the dugout, Lampard told reporters: “I knew that within five days of coming back we were playing Real Madrid away. And also you look at the games we had in the early stages – Wolves, we had a day’s prep, and then Brighton and Brentford are two really difficult opponents. I was aware of that and I don’t think you can live your career considering those negatives and what they might mean. My footballing playing career has given me a level of comfort that I don’t have to be concerned about. I just have to take decisions and enjoy working. I am not concerned at that. I want to win games now but I am not thinking ‘what might this mean for me?’, I can’t overthink that one.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Lampard initially impressed as a tactician during a stint at Derby, as he led them to the Championship play-off final, but has struggled to prove his worth at the highest level despite being a Premier League all-time great from his playing days and a man with 106 England caps to his name.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? Chelsea will be back in action on Tuesday when facing London neighbours Arsenal, with the Blues having six games left in which to try and drag themselves out of the bottom half of the Premier League table.