Player clashes, allegations of favouritism and a ruthless post-season appraisal: The inside...

[ASFN Admin]

When Chelsea confirmed the return of Frank Lampard as head coach in July 2019, the statement, which sat under a picture of the club’s record goalscorer next to director Marina Granovskaia, announced he had signed a three-year contract. In actual fact, that deal was two guaranteed years with the option of a third which means Chelsea will presumably only have to pay Lampard six months’ of his annual wage, around £2 million, as severance. Whatever the good long-term intentions of Chelsea at the time, the fact the option of the further third year was never taken up at the end of Lampard’s first season in charge will leave conspiracy theorists wondering whether or not the doubts inside Stamford Bridge were present long before this season’s run of five defeats in eight Premier League games. Lampard, in many ways, was the only choice for Chelsea after Maurizio Sarri had left for Juventus, at a time when the club had sold their best player, Eden Hazard, and were serving a transfer ban. That is not to say he did not deserve the job or due diligence was not carried out, but Stamford Bridge did not have its normal pulling power. The Blues would have been impressed by his work at Derby County, who he took to the Championship play-off final, but Lampard also provided the club with some positive PR, both with supporters and beyond Stamford Bridge, at the time they most needed it.

Continue reading...