Lampard’s return makes Chelsea a laughing stock

Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan has expressed his disagreement with Jamie Redknapp over the return of Frank Lampard as Chelsea’s new interim manager.

The Blues, under the leadership of co-owner Todd Boehly, are reportedly set to install Lampard as caretaker manager until the end of the 2022/23 season following the sacking of Graham Potter last weekend. However, Redknapp claimed that Lampard’s return to Stamford Bridge is a “no-brainer.”

In contrast, Jordan believes that Lampard’s return to Chelsea will make the club an even bigger laughing stock. Speaking on talkSPORT, Jordan said,

“It would make Chelsea a laughing stock. At Everton, he was an abject failure. 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 in? Sorry, Frank’s a nice fella, but that is irrelevant. Putting something in the dugout because it wins you some kind of popularity contest. And, why would Frank want to do it? It is diminishing of him as if he would be doing everyone a favour by turning up and getting a gig.”

Lampard’s managerial career began in 2018 when he was appointed as the manager of Derby County. During his time with the Rams, he led the team to the Championship playoffs, where they were defeated by Aston Villa in the final. In 2019, Lampard returned to Chelsea as their new manager, where he had previously spent 13 years as a player. He led the team to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League and reached the final of the FA Cup.

However, Lampard was sacked by Chelsea in January 2021 following a run of poor results. He was subsequently appointed as the manager of Everton in June 2021 but was sacked after just four months in charge, having won only one of his ten matches in charge.

The news of Lampard’s imminent return to Chelsea has divided opinions among football pundits and fans alike. While Redknapp believes that it is a “no-brainer,” Jordan thinks that it would make the club a laughing stock. It remains to be seen how Lampard will fare in his second spell at Stamford Bridge and whether he will be able to turn around Chelsea’s fortunes.