Frank Lampard will RETURN to Chelsea as interim manager until the end of the season, with club legend in advanced talks following the sacking of Graham Potter
- Lampard watched as Chelsea played a dull stalemate with Liverpool
- It was more of the same from the hosts who squandered chance after chance
- The former Chelsea midfielder was sacked in January 2021 after a poor run
Frank Lampard will act as interim manager at Chelsea until the end of the season
Lampard was on hand at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night to watch the Blues draw 0-0 against Liverpool in the first game of the post-Graham Potter era.
After the former Brighton boss was sacked on Sunday, his former assistant Bruno Saltor took charge of the first team that night – and it seems likely he will remain in this post until a permanent replacement is found.
Chelsea have instead turned to Lampard, who was sacked as Everton manager earlier this year.
Frank Lampard was on hand as Chelsea drew 0-0 against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge
It has been rumored that the Chelsea legend could make a sensational return to the dugout
Lampard’s latest foray with Chelsea ended when he was sacked as manager following a home removal by Manchester City in January 2021. The club’s statement announcing the news then claimed that ‘results and achievements’ were not up to the standard required.
“Results and performance did not meet club expectations,” it read. “Leaving the club halfway through the table with no clear path to sustainable improvement.”
Lampard steered Chelsea to a top-four finish and the FA Cup final in his first season as head coach, despite coming back in the middle of a transfer embargo and unable to strengthen his squad.
However, after landing a string of new signings on his second signing, the legendary midfielder paid the price for a dismal run of five defeats in eight league games.
Supporters might notice the irony, with the club in a similar place to when he left. Thomas Tuchel replaced Lampard at Stamford Bridge shortly after his sacking and won the Champions League in his first half of the season.
With Potter’s teams beset by the lack of clinical lead and inability to put teams away, Chelsea supporters experienced more of the same on Tuesday night as their huge array of forwards missed a glut of representative chances.
The home crowd thought they had taken a deserved lead in the second period, but Kai Havertz’s failed attempt was rejected due to handball.
Saltor, speaking after the match, said it had been ‘difficult’ for him to enjoy the evening, his first encounter with senior management.
Bruno Saltor took charge of his first game as interim boss as he watched his side squander a number of chances
“It’s been a very difficult 48 hours for everyone because it’s not the first time the players have been in this situation this season and they’ve suffered,” he said.
“As a player you invest a lot in the manager. They had a great relationship with Graham and he really supported them after he left.
“It was really hard for me to enjoy tonight. It’s been a really sad time, but I’ve tried to focus on being the best version of myself to help the guys.”
When asked if he expected to stay or not, he replied, “As it stands, I just expect to go home and rest and focus on hour after hour, day after day.”
‘The owner knows that the staff will be as professional as possible. We try to represent this club as best we can. We know the standards here and what is required.’