After a fairly up and down tenure at Chelsea, Frank Lampard was let go as manager in January, and quickly replaced with Thomas Tuchel. However, Frank may have just been thrown in the deep end, and wasn’t quite ready to take the reins at such a huge club.
The player turned manager saw great success at Derby, and possibly caved to the tremendous pressure that is put on managers at the top clubs, especially Chelsea, with Roman Abramovich being notoriously ruthless. What’s next for the Chelsea legend though? Which club would suit him the best?
England U21’s
While at Chelsea, Frank put a lot of effort and faith in his youngsters, and in many ways, it paid off. The U21’s seem like the perfect place for the manager, he clearly can connect with the youth, as well as get the best out of them.
The team is currently without a head coach after a very disappointing Euro’s run, and while they don’t technically need a manager right now, this position seems like the best for Lampard at this point.
As mentioned, he knows how to manage youth players, how to give them direction, how to make them pay as a team, and while there are other options around, this one is looking like the best right now.
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace is a bit of a left-field option, like some others on this list, but with Palace seemingly losing faith with Roy Hodgson, a return to the Premier League and London could be on the cards for Lampard.
Palace have also been crying out for something new, they haven’t reached their potential even though they have great players, and a young, excited manager could be exactly what they need to turn that corner.
Palace is an option simply because they need a change of direction, while Roy Hodgson may be an incredible manager, Lampard will bring something much different, and that is exactly what Palace need.
Bournemouth
Jonathan Woodgate has been named as Bournemouth’s manager until the end of the season, but this is looking like one of the best positions for Lampard to take over. Bournemouth are currently in the Championship, and still have a chance of being promoted.
If they get promoted, having a manager with Premier League experience will be vital, Frank has that, and if they don’t, they will need a manager who can bring the best out of them so they can make another run for promotion next season.
Considering it’s the Championship, there is pressure, but less pressure than the Premier League, and that could be exactly what Lampard needs, look at what he did at Derby. Bournemouth is also a great side, and would put Lampard back on the path to managing in the Premier League.
Celtic
Outside of England, Celtic is also looking a great option for the young manager. They are currently without a new manager, and Celtic are currently reeling after being absolutely blown out of the water by their arch rivals Rangers.
There was also a lot of talk of Lampard vs Gerrard in the Premier League, when it was made sort of clear that Gerrard would take over at Liverpool at some point, with Lampard at Chelsea, however, that rivalry could happen in Scotland instead.
Coaching a giant of Scottish football will also give Lampard a chance at silverware, something that will give any young manager a major boost, and look great on the CV. Pus, who doesn’t want to see Lampard go head to head with Steven Gerrard again?
Sheffield United
The Blades losing to Wolves recently confirmed they will be relegated this season, and losing beloved manager Chris Wilder a while back most definitely did not help their situation. However, being in the Championship next season is a shot at a fresh start.
A fresh start that could include a young, energetic and hungry manager like Frank Lampard. Sheffield will be looking to bounce back, with eyes on promotion at the end of their Championship season, and Frank has the ability to make that happen.
A consequence of relegation is that you usually lose a few of your top players, and therefore need to bring in younger, inexperienced players to fill the ranks, in other words, exactly the type of players Lampard enjoys coaching.
Other Relegated Clubs
Lampard coaching these teams is probably highly unlikely, but there is the chance that he could take over at another Premier League club that gets relegated. As stated already, relegation changes teams, and a change of manager almost always happens.
West Brom, Brighton, Fulham, Burnley, even Newcastle are all in line to be relegated, and much like why Sheffield would be a good team for Lampard, these teams are great for him for the same reasons. As stated, it is unlikely, but you never know.
As you can see, there are a number of options for the young manager to find his way back into top flight football. While his time at Chelsea was difficult, it was a massive learning experience for him, and he most definitely came out the other side a better coach, any team would be very lucky to have him at the helm.