When Frank Lampard took over as Derby County manager at the start of the season, many were sceptical if it would work out. The Championship is one of the toughest leagues in the world, with a packed schedule which requires teams to have a strong squad and little time for managers to implement their ideology during the season.
However, the Chelsea legend has done a fantastic job, taking his side to the Championship play-off final, after defeating Leeds United in the semi-final on Wednesday.
The Rams are now through to the final where they will face Aston Villa, who have another Chelsea legend in the coaching team – John Terry. And now reports have emerged that current Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri, could be sacked and replaced with Lampard as the manager of the Blues.
This has come out of the blue and is quite surprising considering Lampard has been a manager for just a year, and has never managed a Premier League side.
The report states that Sarri’s time at Chelsea is up and he will be sacked by the London club even if his team defeat Arsenal in the Europa League final.
Another story states that Sarri’s disconnect with the Chelsea fans could be one of the reasons for his potential exit from the club.
If fan relationship is a key criterion for the appointment of the next Chelsea manager, Lampard will probably be high on the list of candidates to replace Sarri as he was a much-loved figure at the London club, along with John Terry.
Lampard, much like the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appointment at Manchester United, could be one where the players are buoyed for a brief period due to the euphoria and the feel-good factor surrounding the club, but could also go sour if a few results go against him.
The former Chelsea midfielder, as I mentioned above, hasn’t been tested at the highest level; how will he deal with big-name players, the prospect of always delivering positive results, and also dealing with other aspects that are involved in running a huge club like Chelsea?
The Englishman is, at the moment, far too early in his managerial career to be given such a difficult task; perhaps another year as manager of Derby, maybe in the Premier League if they get promoted, will really show what he’s capable of, and even bring out the weaknesses that he has as a manager.
While the prospect of a club legend like Lampard or Terry returning to rule the roost at Chelsea would be a fantastic story, one for the romantics of the game, it is far too risky a decision.
Imagine if Chelsea go on a lean period during the season – will Roman Abramovich ditch Lampard, like he has done to world-class coaches in the past, and perhaps even dent his hopes of becoming a top tier manager?
