TalkSport’s Simon Jordan lambasted Chelsea’s appointment of ‘abject failure’ Frank Lampard, suggesting it’s not a forward-thinking move.
Speculation grew after Frank Lampard got spotted in the stands during Chelsea’s draw against Liverpool. The next day, news came out that the club seemed poised to appoint their legend back as a caretaker manager until the end of the season.
The move may have some logic, considering Chelsea still have the Champions League and the last phase of the Premier League season. The Blues remain in talks with candidates for the permanent role, which will come into effect in the summer.
❌ “Frank’s been patently unsuccessful.”
😡 “It’s lightweight, populist thinking! It’s lazy, formulaic & uninspiring.”
🤦♂️ “If this is the blueprint for an iconic, elite, £2.5 billion club…”
Simon Jordan 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 Boehly’s decision to re-appoint Lampard at #CFC 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bjGKyyy5RX
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) April 6, 2023
At first, former Graham Potter assistant Bruno Saltar took charge of the game against Chelsea, and the thinking was the coach would keep charge until the season ended. But in a sudden twist of fate, the Blues decided they needed someone to keep the balance and appointed Lampard to the helm.
Some Chelsea fans are satisfied seeing a familiar face in the dugout and believe Lampard will bring much-needed stability to their team. Others have shown scepticism over the appointment and believe the club have made the wrong decision to bring back a manager who has not succeeded in the role before.
TalkSport’s 55-year-old pundit Simon Jordan did not think Chelsea’s decision to reinstall Lampard was right. The former Crystal Palace owner labelled the Stamford Bridge legend an ‘abject failure’ for his managerial tenures at the club and Everton.
Jordan said, “I don’t think it’s forward-thinking.
“Frank Lampard was not successful at Chelsea. He had a decent first season but lost the FA Cup final they should have won, and in the second season, it wasn’t good enough. So he got fired for perfectly reasonable reasons.
“He went to Everton, and they stayed up not because of wonderful management but because there were three worst sides than them in the division.”
Jordan continued speaking about Lampard and the Chelsea ‘project’ on the whole. He thought the move would only distract and considers Lampard a ‘lightweight’ in front of the mammoth task that is Chelsea.
Jordan continued, “Then, with due respect to Frank, they were poor. Poor, poor, poor.
“If that’s the blueprint for an iconic, elite, £2.5billion football club to solve a problem, to go back to Frank Lampard, then there’s something lacking in their thinking.
“I just think it’s lightweight, populist thinking. It is lazy, formulaic and uninspired by Boehly, and I think Frank Lampard is a lucky boy.”
“They should be after a manager, they should know who they want, and they should get him! It’s laughable.”
“I think Frank Lampard was an abject failure towards the end at Everton.
“I think the culture at Chelsea was poor towards the end [of Lampard’s tenure]. Player’s that have now gone, I grant you, Rudiger, Frank marginalised.”
“I think in certain quarters Chelsea are a laughing stock. Why would they want to compound that and make themselves an even bigger laughing stock by bringing Frank Lampard to sit in situ.”
Lampard must stabilise Chelsea’s season with the remaining Premier League games. They face Wolves next on Saturday, then travel to Spain for their Champions League quarterfinals against Real Madrid. In the league, with a decent run of games, they could yet make it to one of the European competitions, provided the teams above them drop considerable points.
Jordan could have some logic to his words, considering Lampard has achieved nothing during his two years at Chelsea. Whether the move backfires remains the question. However, he is the most relatable choice to stabilise the club in the short term.
