Chelsea will appoint former Hammer Frank Lampard junior as their new manager within the next 48 hours multiple sources claim.
The 41-year-old year will return to Stamford Bridge after just one season in management at Derby County, to succeed Maurizio Sarri after his exit to Juventus.
Lampard junior was born into a West Ham family in Romford with his father, Frank Lampard Senior who made 670 appearances for the club which second only to Billy Bonds and his West Ham supporting mother Pat.
Lampard began his career at West Ham joining the youth team in 1994, his schoolboy hero being West Ham striker, Frank McAvennie. Lampard joined West Ham when his father was the assistant coach, entering as an apprentice in the youth team in 1994 and signing a professional contract the following year. He went on loan to Second Division Swansea City in 1995. Lampard played nine times for Swansea before returning to West Ham in January 1996.
Lampard made his debut for West Ham in 1996 against Coventry City coming on as a substitute for John Moncur.
He made 148 league appearances for the Hammers scoring 24 goals before joining Chelsea in 2001 for £11m.
Nice to see Frank doing it the right way. Not like these ex players who go straight to Real Madrid. Start at Derby, then Chelsea. A couple of seasons there & he will be ready to manage the Hammers!!!
Good luck to him, he’s going to need it, he will be on a hiding to nothing.
Imho it’s madness going there after only one seasons experience & that ending in defeat at the finishing line. Serve his managerial apprenticeship first before going for the big time.
Chelsea have signed near enough every top manager in football & have sacked the majority of them, so going for a total novice is a surprising move, Lampard being a Chelsea legend will only carry him so far. Look at Di Matteo, won the holy grail CL & FA Cup but still was gone by Xmas.
He won’t be able to sign anyone until summer 2021 (if he is still there) so he has his excuses already lined up ‘it’s not my team, clubs best player sold blah blah blah’
The problem in modern management is you have to cement yourself as a top level manager as quickly as possible (especially if you’re British). You are only as good as your last job and so far his stock is reasonably high. The Championship is such as unpredictable league and so competitive, who knows how he would do next season. Apparently there are some financial issues at Derby so he would have less to work with. A poor season and he could be sacked, then nobody wants you. Look at some of the managers who have managed at Premier League level who can’t even get a job in the first two divisions.
People like Zidane, Guadiola and the like started at the very top in a job it’s almost impossible to fail at. They might well be brilliant managers but they’ll never risk dropping to a level where that is properly tested. To stay as an elite level manager, you have to choose your career path very carefully. That’s why Rafa Benitez is particularly impressive. He’s been at the top but has been willing to put his reputation on the line to manage at a lower level. Pellegrini similarly although he worked his way up and was managing in China before joining us so he was probably less concerned at 65 about his next job.
Never forget every goal he scored against The Hamners he always celebrated and rubbed our noses in it so hope he flops !!
COYI