Chelsea's exhaustive search for their next manager appears to be nearing the end as Todd Boehly and his hierarchy seem set to make a decision in the near future. The Blues are eyeing their third permanent manager in the past year after dismissals for both Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.
Frank Lampard has returned in interim charge for the remainder of the season, but after an exit in the Champions League and a current mid-table standing, it seems as though there's little to play for. The role for the former midfielder now is to set the groundwork for the next manager.
When asked on his task upon rejoining the club, Lampard said: "I think to attempt to instil the highest level of confidence I can with the group. For them to exert and show a level of passion of playing for Chelsea and an urgency and energy in their game. Those are principles that I really want to talk to players about. In terms of targets we want to win as many games as we can. It's the simplest answer your going to get. It's more complicated than that but at the same time I think there are big games ahead of us."
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It could be a challenge to try and do that while there lacks a competitive edge to the games Chelsea are now involved in, but equally the lack of pressure may help some in the squad. In terms of laying the foundations for the next manager, team decisions may be the most important.
Mauricio Pochettino is amongst those linked with the vacant role as it reaches the latter stages of recruitment and according to the Times, the former Tottenham and PSG boss is keen on building a culture with the squad's homegrown players. That could hint at the types of teams that he would want Lampard to pick.
That's not to say that all the academy graduates will get a look in though as the likes of Gabriel Slonina, Harvey Vale and Lewis Hall all featured in a youth match on Monday, meaning they are unlikely to feature for the side in Wednesday's clash with Brentford. It remains to be seen if the interim manager will change his team as a result, but it could help make the transition smoother for Pochettino if he were to get the job.
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