Frank Lampard's second stint as Chelsea manager lasted barely one month - but that was sufficient to witness certain things he felt "cannot be right" at the elite level
Comments
Sport
Frank Lampard during Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Newcastle, his final game in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Frank Lampard has opened up on some of the things he witnessed during his second stint as Chelsea coach that "cannot be right"
(Image: Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
The second coming of Frank Lampard as Chelsea manager fell miles short of going to plan. But the Stamford Bridge icon has suggested success was somewhat out of his hands, given the faults that were evident at his old club.
Lampard was parachuted into his old stomping ground as an interim replacement for Graham Potter in April 2023. But what followed has gone down in history as one of the worst coaching stints in Premier League history as he won just one of his 11 games in charge, leading Chelsea to their first bottom-half league finish since 1996.
Article continues below
The 46-year-old - who is now flourishing as coach of promotion hopefuls Coventry City - has lifted the lid on that short-term tenure and addressed the faults evident at his former club. And the dissection perhaps doesn't reflect well on how the club is being run since American Todd Boehly took over in 2022.
"I saw things that I know cannot be right at elite football, and that's the truth," he told Sky Sports. "I didn't love working in that short period because it's hard to lay down an idea when you're going to be leaving, but Chelsea will always be a massive club in my life.
"But when I understand the standards of Chelsea - in that period of time, a lot of players were in transition of maybe leaving, and some problems and motivation were a problem - in an interim period, you can't really affect that. When you see the results of it, I'm experienced enough to know what's right and what's wrong and basic things in a training ground on a pitch."
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was still in control of the Blues when Lampard first managed them between July 2019 and January 2021. And that stint was a much more conclusive success after he steered the club to fourth in the Premier League and an FA Cup final, all while dealing with the restrictions of a transfer embargo.
The Boehly administration has dogged by controversy since the Los Angeles Dodgers owner completed his £4.25billion takeover almost three years ago. Chelsea have had four permanent manager appointments during that spell, in addition to Lampard, who came up short in his bid to win over the bosses for a second appointment.
The club have spent roughly £1.1bn on new signings under Boehly's ownership, largely prioritising young (and often unproven) players in the transfer market. And many of those brought in on long contracts of up to eight years have failed to justify the expense, including the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk, Christopher Nkunku and Wesley Fofana.
The seemingly scattergun approach lies in direct contrast to the frugal methods Lampard thrived under when he first arrived as manager of his old club. Albeit enforced due to Chelsea's embargo, the Blues icon developed a raft of young talents at no cost via the club's academy, serving as proof major expense isn't a prerequisite to success.
Boehly was also recently criticised by the Chelsea Supporters' Trust after it came to light he's a director of Vivid Seats. Those fans are calling for an investigation into his links to the site, which is selling tickets for Liverpool's potential Premier League title decider against Chelsea for as much as £6,333.
Haji Wright of Coventry City is congratulated by head coach Frank Lampard after the Sky Bet Championship match between Coventry City FC and Sunderland
Lampard is now thriving as manager of Coventry City
Lampard is once again making the most with more meagre means since joining Coventry in November. The club sat 17th in the Championship when he took over but is now up to fifth and vying for promotion via the play-offs.
The Sky Blues have won 13 of their 22 league games with Lampard in charge or 13 of their 24 fixtures in all competitions. That equates to a win percentage of 54.17 per cent, which is the best he has managed with any club as a coach to date.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.