Frank Lampard's return to Chelsea was not expected when Graham Potter was sacked on Sunday night. It was not feasible when Thomas Tuchel departed in September 2022. Very few ever thought he'd be in the Chelsea home dugout again when he was sacked in January 2021. Yet here we are.
The Blues have turned to their all-time top scorer and one of their greatest ever players in a time of need. This is, as he said, his club. Even in a time where Chelsea are far from the same club structurally to the one Lampard played for, less so again to the one he managed, a familiar face and voice has come back.
With a squad of players so large that they physically can't fit in the same changing room, a calming presence and club legend has the job of settling the ship. There is little pressure on the 44-year-old given he can't lose ground in the minds of the fans, only create new memories and help write new chapters in an already fairytale story.
