Frank Lampard sacked? The candidates to replace him as Chelsea boss

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 4 min read

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is reportedly on the cusp of losing his job, according to the Telegraph.

The news comes after the Blues successfully progressed in the FA Cup after overcoming Luton at Stamford Bridge.

However that victory has apparently not saved Lampard, as Chelsea are in the middle of a shocking run which has seen them drop to ninth in the table.

This is not acceptable for a team who spent almost €250 million on signings this summer in order to challenge for the Premier League.

Owner Roman Abramovich is not known for his clemency in such situations.

So who will replace Lampard as Chelsea’s next manager?

Favourites to replace Lampard as Chelsea manager

One of the favourites is ex-Milan and Juventus manager Max Allegri. Allegri has been out of football since leaving Juventus in 2019.

He has pedigree both domestically and in Europe, winning six Serie A titles with Milan and Juventus, and also reaching two Champions League finals

He is also keen to move to the Premier League and has been learning English for a number of years. Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment at PSG has taken away his most likely next destination, too.

Thomas Tuchel, reports the Guardian, is the favourite to take over the role. Like Allegri, he has experience of dealing with a dressing room full of big names – having coached the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at PSG.

He also speaks English fluently, prefers an attacking style of football that owner Roman Abramovich desires, and has won league titles already – two in France. The fact that he is German may help get the best out of struggling pair Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.

Similarly, RB Leipzig’s exciting up-and-coming coach Julian Nagelsmann is very highly rated and has shown that he can get the best out of promising young players. Indeed, leading the Bundesliga side to the Champions League semi-finals last season was a fine achievement. Given he faces something of a glass ceiling in Germany up against the might of Bayern Munich, this a move that could entice him, although a mid-season switch is perhaps a little unlikely.

Coming into the picture in recent weeks is another German speaker, Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl. After a slow start at St Mary’s, the former RB Leipzig boss has Saints punching above their weight domestically.

The other name in the frame is Brendan Rodgers, the man who may have performed the coup de grace on Lampard. Of course, he is a former Chelsea coach and has enjoyed prodigious success at Celtic and Leicester, his last two jobs. Meanwhile, it should not be forgotten that he came very close to leading Liverpool to the title before it went sour at Anfield.

Other domestic options include Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who has been successful with another cosmopolitan club, and Chelsea playing legend John Terry – currently an assistant at Aston Villa.

However, appointing another inexperienced coach with a Chelsea past seems unlikely given Lampard’s struggles.