- Legendary Chelsea Women’s boss Emma Hayes will leave the club in the summer
- Izzy Christiansen claimed Frank Lampard is the best candidate to replace Hayes
- Chelsea are a mess and it’s hard to find the answers… but they need to keep the faith and stay patient. It all starts podcast
Former England star Izzy Christiansen has tipped Frank Lampard to replace Emma Hayes as Chelsea Women’s manager next season.
Hayes will leave Stamford Bridge this summer after 12 decorated years in the role, with the 47-year-old taking over as manager of the US women’s national team.
Since taking on the role in 2012, Hayes has guided Chelsea to an impressive 15 trophies, including six WSL titles.
In fact, the Blues have won the league for four consecutive seasons and are on course for a fifth consecutive win this season, with Hayes’ side three points clear of Man City at the top of the table.
Hayes’ replacement has yet to be announced, but Christiansen – who has represented the likes of Everton, Man City and Lyon during her career and now works as a pundit – felt Lampard could be the perfect replacement.
Izzy Christiansen tipped Frank Lampard to replace Emma Hayes as Chelsea Women manager
Hayes will leave Chelsea this summer after a stunning spell taking over the US women’s national team
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“I have a name in mind, but I’ve never heard anyone throw it out there,” Christiansen said LiveScore. ‘(…) Frank Lampard.’
‘He is someone who knows the club inside and out. From my experiences at Everton, listening to him, he is the right type of character.
“His level of communication and knowledge of the game can be very effective and I think you have someone who is well accustomed to what it means to be Chelsea.”
Lampard has had a mixed managerial career to date, including two spells in charge of Chelsea’s men’s team.
After impressing at Derby, he took the Chelsea job for the first time in 2019 and led the Blues to fourth place in his first season while battling a transfer ban.
However, he was sacked in January 2021 when the club was ninth in the league, amid a rift in his relationship with several players and the club’s hierarchy.
Lampard then spent just under a year in charge of Everton and although he guided them to safety in 2021/22, he was sacked by the Toffees in 19th place the following January.
The Blues legend returned to the club last April for an ill-fated 11-match spell as interim boss, replacing Graham Potter, but won just one game.
Despite his disappointing record, Christiansen claimed Lampard, who has scored more than 200 goals for the club, could help Chelsea continue their incredible success and insisted the club should keep an open mind when deciding on Hayes’ replacement .
She added, “I don’t know if he would want it or not, but it makes sense to me.
Christiansen claimed Lampard would be the right person to build on Hayes’ incredible success
Lampard has had two spells with Chelsea’s men’s team, including an 11-match stint last season
“Honestly, I’m at a party where it doesn’t have to be a woman, it doesn’t have to be a man; it just has to be the right person for the job.
‘There’s no gain in Chelsea saying, ‘Okay, let’s put this in a box, it has to be a female.’
“If they want to continue or try to continue the dominance they have had domestically, this has to be the right appointment.”
Chelsea are currently three points clear of Man City at the top of the WSL and they face their title rivals in a weekly crunch clash on Friday.