It was only barely 10 weeks ago that a flustered Frank Lampard was butt up against the wall desperately trying to navigate a way out of the relegation zone with Everton. Inadvertently he was sacked as the club’s top brass considered him not capable of accomplishing the feat.
Now, only two months or so later, a wholly unexpected return to Chelsea has gifted the Blues’ legend a lifeline where one of his most pressing priorities is to find a way past Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
On a personal level, it is a remarkable, if not miraculous, turnaround for Lampard. From a grungy relegation scrap to a shot at the swankiest European trophy – just at the snap of the fingers.
A hardcore cynic would obviously argue that the former Everton manager was not re-hired by one of the country’s biggest clubs because of his work in the dugout at his previous relegation-threatened club. There is obviously more than meets the eye here. Lampard the manager has come back to Chelsea because of who he is – Lampard the indisputable club legend whose stature in the club’s history remains unrivalled to this day. It is what he represents and what he means to the supporters way over and beyond what he is able to contribute at present as a stand-in manager.
Many would obviously question the efficacy of what this short-term appointment can do for both him and the club. Chelsea of course would be hopeful that Lampard can save their season while on the flipside their once gallant knight in shiny armor would be hoping that the club can help to save his managerial career.
Truthfully, not many a club would have the audacity to hire Lampard after his recent misfortunes at Everton. The likes of Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Southampton have all had to sack their managers since Lampard himself got the boot in January, and there were no crystal ball readings indicating that those clubs considered him to be hot on their list.
Lampard landing unexpectedly on his feet on familiar Chelsea turf has its pros and cons. The obvious danger would be if things suddenly go south. The gaffer needs to maintain his balance like a tightrope-walker on a high wire in the next couple of weeks if he is to reinvigorate his career. Failure to do so would seriously jeopardize his managerial career after having fallen short at Everton. This time he would then surely struggle to find another Premier League job any time soon should he again fail.
Needless to say, success at navigating a firm course at Stamford Bridge this time around would obviously provide him with considerable potential rewards, especially if he is able to unite both Chelsea’s bloated squad with their inflated egos and the supporters, put into place a clearly-defined style of play while achieving a memorable run in the Champions League. This will then ensure he will go ride into this summer’s sunset as one of the more sought-after young coaches in the Premier League.
The least Lampard can provide would be a total uplift in mood at Stamford Bridge in his second tenure. Of course, it is not altogether unreasonable to expect that an impressive showing in the remainder of this season will make the man re-appointed at Stamford Bridge on a permanent basis, despite Chelsea’s owners clearly harboring other ideas at the moment. But should he pull off the miracle of winning the Champions League, what happens then? It is no more fanciful than suggesting in 2012 that Chelsea would win the Champions League under Roberto Di Matteo.
As said earlier, Lampard should provide a lift in mood at the very least. He flashed a broad smile when he arrived at Thursday’s press conference, saying it was “nice to be back”. He then spoke about the club feeling like “home”., Undoubtedly there will be delight at his return among the fanbase, as one of their own replaces the disliked Graham Potter.
There is also no doubting that Lampard knows football and how much these next few weeks would mean for his developing managerial career.
“I have a professional ego where I want to be the best I can be,” he said.
“I want to be as good as possible. I want that feeling. I want the feeling of managing here and winning some games, because there is nothing better. There is no doubt about it. That is why I am here.”
Should all proceed exceptionally well, he could well remain at the club for longer than the next few weeks. On the flipside, if all goes badly south, the stain on his CV as a manager aspiring to be established at the higher echelons would be hard to ignore for a considerable period of time in the near future.