Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp believes Chelsea's decision to reappoint his cousin Frank Lampard as manager is a "no brainer".
Lampard has made a sensational return to Stamford Bridge, just 27 months after he was sacked by the Blues. The 44-year-old has signed a short-term deal until the end of the season after Graham Potter was dismissed by Chelsea on Sunday night.
Lampard was out of work after being sacked by Everton in January. Although many critics have questioned his ability to coach in the Premier League after being axed by Chelsea and the Toffees, Redknapp believes his cousin is the perfect manager for the job.
Lampard was at Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea's draw against Liverpool on Tuesday night. Redknapp told Sky Sports the next evening, "I was at the game last night and I saw him in the crowd and he looked like a guy that hadn’t just gone there for a few drinks.
"He watched it in a very studious way and I started to think maybe they [Chelsea] might like at Frank as an option because there’s not many other managers right now. There’s a few managers they’re talking about. Obviously [Julian] Nagelsmann’s had a mention but he looks like he wants some time away.
"This might make sense for the owners just to have a bit of breathing space and give Frank the opportunity to get back in the game. He’s got unfinished business at Chelsea, he loves the club, nobody cares about that club or knows it better than he does."
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"I think this is a complete no brainer if Chelsea were to go for him and he’d take the job. I think it would be brilliant for him."
Lampard was first appointed by Chelsea in July 2019 after guiding Derby to the Championship play-off final, where they lost 2-1 to Aston Villa. He enjoyed a solid first season in charge, as Chelsea finished fourth and reached the FA Cup final.
Yet Lampard struggled to recover after that 2-1 defeat to Arsenal. He was sacked in January 2021 with the club ninth in the Premier League. He took the Everton job a year later and guided them to Premier League safety, but was then sacked three months ago.
Chelsea are 11th in the Premier League and will need to go on a brilliant run between now and the end of the season to qualify for Europe. Lampard's main aim is to win the Champions League, with a daunting quarter-final against Real Madrid on the horizon.
Redknapp believes Chelsea have an outside chance of success. He added, "Obviously the players haven’t had good results, or many goals but you can see that there are real signs at that club and they’ve got a Champions League game to come at Real Madrid.
"People will say its impossible. But Roberto Di Matteo did it, he won it as an interim manager. Stranger things have happened in football."
