Claude Makelele says Frank Lampard shouldn’t be blamed for Chelsea’s woes, saying: ‘Guardiola or Mourinho wouldn’t have done any better.’
The former Blues’ midfielder believes the interim boss should be cleared of any responsibility for the mess at Stamford Bridge. Speaking at the Laureus World Sports awards in Paris, the ex-France international stood squarely behind his one-time team-mate.
He said: “It’s a difficult situation - not only for Frank - it would be for any other manager. You could have brought in Guardiola, Mourinho or whoever you think is the best. But they would have struggled because he was dealing with very new players.
“He didn’t know their background and everything that’s going on. Frank accepted the challenge. The win last Saturday would have done some good and brought a little bit of happiness.”
The Blues finally got up and running under their interim boss, beating Bournemouth last Saturday to record their first triumph in seven under Lampard.
Asked if the 44-year-old should stay in charge, the erstwhile midfield enforcer said it wasn’t his decision to choose the next manager. But he insisted that a dip in form was understandable after such upheaval.
He said: “Football isn’t easy - the strategy of this new owner is normal with different people coming in. We’ve seen many examples of that.
“You can look at Manchester City or Paris St Germain… Chelsea ’s situation isn’t negative. It can change - and it can change quickly.
“We are building a young team. If you look at Arsenal, that’s exactly what they are doing. We need a bit of time. Next season we will be ready.”
The Laureus World Sports Awards took place on Monday evening in Paris. To find out more visit www.laureus.com
