No manager would have looked forward to the end of the just-concluded season any more than Frank Lampard at Chelsea. The club's top scorer and legend was drafted in by the new ownership after their project with Graham Potter hit the rocks. The limp mood around the club only ended up growing worse as Lampard could only win one of his eleven games in charge, losing eight! The concern now is whether or not Lampard is done as a manager. The former England International is now seen as a fraud as far as management is concerned and recent living proof that great footballers do not necessarily make great coaches. Lampard has roundly failed to inspire a team of individuals pieced together by novice owners who have money to throw around.
His stint at Everton does not save him too. Lampard has become accustomed to losing games. Everton avoided relegation to the championship in his first season following a comeback 3-2 win over Crystal Palace under the floodlights in Goodison. Unfortunately, the club was back in the relegation mix and looking nailed on. To be fair, the Toffees only secured their Premier League status on the final day, but it was clear that a change was needed back in January following a series of embarrassing defeats.
There are a few questions about Frank Lampard's coaching profile. What are his tactics? Does he know what he is doing at all? Is he done as a coach? Does he need apprenticeship somewhere for a while? What is clear though is that Lampard can consider himself done as far as managing at the level of the premier league is concerned. He has proven to be half-baked and will need to be as far away from the spotlight as much as possible.
It might sound unfair, especially considering how he guided a young Chelsea team to Champions League qualification in 2020 and took them past the group stage in the following season. It is hard to argue against that achievement although it is clear that he was a stop gap since most top managers were not ready to suffer the transfer embargo placed on Chelsea. The real question is if Lampard should have cut short his learning process back at Derby for the spotlight when he did? The answer Lampard will give you is the same: It is Chelsea. He loves the club and will always want to help. It is the same reason he came back even when the conditions were trickier.
Can Lampard come back to be a good manager? In terms of his footballing influences, Lampard cannot be said to be a protege of any particular notable manager. He had too many during his playing career. This lack of clear identity is a key problem for him to solve. Some people thought he would be the modern Mourinho, but his teams do not embody any defensive structure or mental toughness that characterized the Portuguese’s Chelsea teams. Lampard has been all over the place.
Another issue is Lampard's pride. It is okay to talk about mentality or personality but it is also important to be humble enough to learn and improve your skillset. Top managers like Pep Guardiola actually evolve and upgrade themselves. We have seen Arteta at Arsenal make some adjustments to his team. Unfortunately, nothing has changed with Lampard.
The recurring theme with Lampard's teams is poor defensive structure. His teams concede loads of goals and it is not just about the personnel. While there is a disposition to control possession and press high from his teams, the structural elements behind it has been poor and easy for technically sound teams to play through.
There is no doubt that Lampard can still make it as a coach. He may just need to go back and start from the roots. There have been some good things in his short career so far. He nearly brought Derby County up in a challenging season. He kept Chelsea in the top four and took them past the group stages in his first stint. He may just have to go backwards to go forwards.
Taking a championship job is not particularly a demotion. Most times, the difference between a successful manager and an unsuccessful one is finding the right project and getting all the support and time needed. Lampard needs a job that will not come with the added pressure his pedigree as a player brings. He needs an environment where he can quietly work his way up as it is supposed to be. He has a lot to work on in terms of his coaching and he needs to be allowed to do that. Jobs where results are not necessarily the premium (of course, that's what the job is about) may not be his forte for now. He has got to now do what he should have done. Work his way up.
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