As Liverpool’s Champions League qualification hopes were handed their latest blow at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, Frank Lampard was an interested observer as the Reds fought out a dismal 0-0 draw with Chelsea.
Nothing to see here, it seemed. While the Londoners had sacked Graham Potter on Sunday, the sight of the out-of-work manager at Stamford Bridge appeared innocent enough.
Lampard is a Chelsea legend, after all, with three Premier League titles and a Champions League win the highlight of 14-year career at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, boasting 211 goals from 648 appearances, he is the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
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Besides, he had already endured an average stint as Chelsea manager, and was sacked after 18 months as recently as January 2021. Yet 24 hours after Tuesday night’s final whistle and it emerged that Lampard was indeed set to return to his former club and on the verge of being appointed caretaker manager until the end of the season. Come Thursday, his temporary appointment was confirmed.
Kopite observers will have no doubt raised eyebrows, and afforded themselves a bemused chuckle, at such an appointment, having seen Lampard sacked by their Merseyside rivals Everton back in January. At the time of his dismissal, the Blues were 19th in the table after a 10-game winless run in all competitions.
While Chelsea still have the Champions League to fight for, with a quarter-final clash with Real Madrid taking place later this month, their Premier League plight is even worse than Liverpool’s. Currently 11th with nine games left to play, they boast 39 points and, having played a game more, sit 14 points behind the top four.
As a result, they are vying for a top seven finish and European qualification at best, with Lampard ultimately tasked with trying to ensure they pass on their ‘biggest disappointment of the season’ label to the Reds by the time the campaign is out.
Whether the former England international could ever be in contention to be handed the job permanently remains to be seen. But beyond the on-field battles with Jurgen Klopp’s side, Lampard’s return to Stamford Bridge could have further ramifications at Anfield.
Liverpool are well-documented to be plotting a midfield revamp this summer, with Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher emerging as a surprise target last weekend. Meanwhile, team-mate Mason Mount continues to be linked with a move to Anfield, and is believed to be high on the list of priorities.
With little over a year left on his Chelsea contract, Mount is currently stuck in a contract impasse with the Londoners and looks set to be sold this summer for a cut-price fee as a result. With a cloud of uncertainty hovering over his head regarding his future as a result, the 24-year-old is ultimately in the midst of the worst form of his career.
Boasting three goals and six assists from 32 appearances, he was an unused substitute against both Liverpool and Aston Villa following his return from a pelvis injury. Before that setback, his loss of form had seen him in and out of the Chelsea starting XI.
Yet the return of Lampard could prove to be exactly what Mount needs to rediscover his best form.
The midfielder is Lampard's most-used player throughout his five years in management, having spent a season on loan at Derby County under the Chelsea legend prior to his appointment at Stamford Bridge.
Equally, boasting 124 appearances (9,740 minutes) under his former manager for the Rams and Londoners, Lampard is also the boss Mount has played most of his football for.
For Derby, he would register 11 goals and six assists from 44 appearances as they reached the Championship play-off final. Meanwhile, under Lampard at Chelsea, Mount returned 11 goals and 12 assists for 80 appearances from his 18 months of Premier League and Champions League football.
Now two years older, a reunion with his former manager could unlock the 24-year-old’s best form once more. At the very least, he is again linking up with a manager who knows him well and trusts him enough to start him regularly.
In turn, that could arguably prompt the Londoners to return to the negotiating table in an attempt to keep Mount, or up their asking price off the back of improved performances.
Moreover, it’s also plausible that should Lampard impress enough to be awarded the Chelsea job permanently, his presence could lead to Mount preferring to stay at Stamford Bridge. And regardless of the interim manager’s long-term future he could still look to persuade both player and club to agree to a contract extension.
Admittedly, there is no guarantee that Lampard’s return to Chelsea will have a positive knock-on effect on Mount’s season. But at a time when a summer move had seemingly grown almost inevitable for the Liverpool target, his future is now that little bit more uncertain.
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