Frank Lampard as interim Chelsea manager is a good decision

Chelsea are close to appointing Frank Lampard on an interim basis alongside another legend Ashley Cole as well as familiar faces Joe Edwards and Chris Jones, but what will this mean for Chelsea in the last two months of the 2022/23 Campaign?

Calming the Storm

Whilst the appointment of Frank Lampard comes as a shock to a lot of people, I am going to tell you why this is an extremely clever appointment. With the controversy currently surrounding Chelsea after sacking Graham Potter after just 7 months in charge and disgruntled fans unhappy with the current position of Chelsea in the table being 11th after 29 games, Chelsea will look to calm the storm with the appointment of club legends Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole.

By doing this, it will ease expectations around the club as the happiness around the club will increase just by having these household names on the touchline. These are figures that command respect at Chelsea due to their legendary status and will help to fix problems in the dressing room as well as give the fans something to cheer for in the remaining months of the season. This appointment changes the narrative around the club, which is something Chelsea will want to do in the short term whilst they air out potential suitors for the summer.

Mason Mount

As much as Mason Mount causes divide amongst Chelsea fans, one thing that cannot be denied was his influence under Frank Lampard when he was previously Chelsea manager. This appointment could be music to Mason Mount’s ears as he endures his worst season in a Chelsea shirt thus far. The appointment of Lampard and the ability Lampard had to get the best out of Mason Mount could see him pick up his form and end the season well, which could then lead to him renewing his contract with Chelsea, therefore keeping him away from the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United.

Lampard deployed Mount as both a number 10 in a 4-2-3-1, and as an 8 in an attacking 4-3-3. However, with Chelsea currently looking more comfortable in a back 3 system, we could see Mount used as an 8 in a 3-5-2 or as an inside left forward in the front 3. If Lampard can come back and get the best out of Mason Mount, this could be massively beneficial for both Mount himself and Chelsea.

On his day Mount is a pivotal player for Chelsea and the club would love to agree a deal with him, providing they see a return of the Mason Mount of old. Alternativley, Mount playing well could increase his value even further.

Player Development

Frank Lampard proved in his first stint in charge of Chelsea that he could develop players currently at the club. The likes of Mason Mount, Reece James, Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham are the 4 players that instantly come to mind who made big strides under Frank Lampard.

With the amount of young talent at Chelsea currently, this next few months could be the perfect time for Lampard to coach these young players and instill some confidence and belief in them. Two players that could really benefit from this are Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke. Lampard in his short managerial career has been known to like using direct wingers and these two Chelsea signings are the very definition of direct wingers. They are both extremely young and raw talents and the coaching of Frank Lampard could really see them take the next step in these last few months of the season.

At Chelsea we saw Frank Lampard get the best out of Christian Pulisic when he was fit, using him as a Left Winger. At Everton whilst things were quite poor under Lampard, one of the positives was the usage of wingers Mcneil and Gray. Both of these wingers were extremely direct under Lampard and were instructed to go 1v1 whenever possible to create crossing opportunities and create chances. By giving Mudryk and Madueke both the license to do this, but also the coaching required to know when to go 1v1 and put them in the situation to do so, it could be the chance the two young wingers need to really take that next big step and make a name for themselves.

Lampard is also known to be a big fan of Raheem Sterling having told Callum Hudson Odoi to try and model his game around the then Manchester City winger who had scored 12 goals in 13 games at the time.

Familiarity

As boring as it may sound, Frank Lampard is a familiar face around the club and a lot of the current players have worked with him previously. During a transitional period, a familiar face around the team is always a good foundation to have. A lot of the young core, as well as signings such as Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, Edouard Mendy and Hakim Ziyech are very familiar with Lampard and his style.

This will mean Lampard can join up with the team and already have a foundation to work with, whilst integrating the new faces he hasn’t yet worked with. He is a very likable figure at the club and a lot of the players were devastated when he was sacked as they believed it was their fault. This could see some of the players with the noticeable desire to make up for past “wrong doings”.

Champions League Knockouts

As Lampard was previously sacked in January 2021, he did not get the chance to play a knockout game in the same season Chelsea went on to win the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel. This could be a real focus for Lampard to get one more chance at the Champions League with Chelsea as the manager and deliver a big knockout tie win against current holders Real Madrid.

The Champions League is the last thing Chelsea have to play for this season and the players will be up for it. They will want to prove people wrong and cause an upset, and who better to do that with than Frank Lampard who himself would love to prove people wrong and re-galvanize his managerial career.

In conclusion, I think Frank Lampard is a very clever appointment to bring back some positive energy at the club. I believe by appointing Lampard until the end of the season and taking our time to find the right man to take Chelsea forwards from Summer onwards, it will ensure no mistakes are made in the hiring process, as well as giving the club a positive injection with the return of Chelsea legends on the touchline!

By Connor Holden

(Cover image credit: Sky Sports)