Frank Lampard Appointed As Caretaker Manager At Chelsea

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With Chelsea, Tottenham, and Leicester still without permanent managers, Chelsea has taken the decision to appoint Frank Lampard as caretaker manager until the end of the season. The club has been clear that they will continue “ a thorough and exhaustive process for a permanent head coach”. What can Lampard bring to Chelsea, and can he steer them in the right direction after a so far disappointing season?

Return Of A Legend

Frank Lampard has previously had a spell as Chelsea manager, being appointed the 4th of July 2019. He was axed the 25th of January 2021, ending with a 52.4% win percentage. Let’s take a look at how he did during his 84 games in charge:

Taking over from Maurizio Sarri mid-summer 2019, fans were eager to see a Chelsea legend at the helm of the club. Guiding Derby to the play-offs in the summer, Lampard had a decent track record coming in to the vacant Chelsea spot. 

Chelsea was hit with a two-window transfer ban for the 2019 summer and 2020 winter windows, and therefore had a difficult position in regards to strengthening their squad. Lampard was forced to work with what he had, and featured ten academy players during his first home win against Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup. Lampard was praised for his use of academy and homegrown players during the transfer ban, and fans were excited to watch their club under these circumstances. His first season with Chelsea resulted in a fourth place in the Premier League, securing a Champions League spot, as well as a FA Cup Final which they lost to Arsenal.

His next season was his first with the transfer window open, and he brought in Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz, and Édouard Mendy. The season started strong as Chelsea topped their Champions League group, as well as being third in the Premier League in early December. After only 2 wins the next 8 games, Lampard was sacked as manager on the 25th of January 2021. Thomas Tuchel was appointed as manager the day after.

Everton

After a year out of a job, Lampard was appointed as Everton manager on the 31th of January 2022. Everton was currently in 16th place, four points above relegation. Where Lampard appears to have excelled was in uniting the fanbase, giving them hope and guiding them through the last half of the 2021/2022 season. 

With one game remaining, Lampard guided Everton to safety on the 19th of May. With Calvert-Lewin’s goal in the 85th minute, Everton won 3-2 against Crystal Palace to secure their 69th year in the top flight of English football. 

The 2022/2023 season unfortunately saw Everton back in the relegation battle. At the time of his departing, Everton had won 3 out of 21 games, sitting in 19th place. Lampard ended with a 27.3% win percentage during his 44 games in charge.

Present Day

The appointment came as a massive surprise to most, considering his record at Everton, as well as few expecting a caretaker appointment at all. Lampard knows the club, and his quick adaption into the role might be one of the reasons of the appointment.

He has currently managed Chelsea for one game, which resulted in a disappointing 1-0 loss to Wolverhampton last Saturday. Chelsea are currently in 11th place, and is at the time of writing closer to the relegation zone than a top-four finish. His next game in charge comes this Wednesday, where they will meet Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter finals. 

As the Chelsea board are still looking for a permanent manager for the club, Lampard has everything to win with this appointment. The likes of Zidane, Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique are all still contenders for the vacant permanent spot. If Lampard manages to do a decent job, his name could also join that list.

Image: Getty Images