Even Graham Potter turned us down so we’re not likely to get a truly world-class manager at this stage. We are a mess right now.
I would go for Frank Lampard.
He got Derby County into the top 6 and into the play-off final, where they narrowly lost to Aston Villa.
He also guided Chelsea to the FA Cup final and got them a top 4 finish (at a time when they weren’t allowed to sign anyone) before Abramovich sacked him prematurely. The much lauded Tuchel is only one place above that now after spending a fortune. And Frank spent next to nothing on players because for most of his time at Stamford Bridge Chelsea were under the imposition of a transfer embargo. One other thing to note is that Frank Lampard fought tooth and nail to get Declan Rice from West Ham and the Chelsea board stupidly overruled him. Just look at how Declan Rice has turned out - he’s arguably the best midfielder in the Premier League right now. He’s certainly England’s best player. Recruitment mistakes have been a big problem for us and it seems that Frank knows his stuff in that regard.
I loved the guy as a player. He had a never-say-die attitude and he is Chelsea’s all-time leading goal scorer, which is a stunning achievement given that he was a midfielder. As a player he won everything there is to win at club level, including numerous Premier League titles, so he would immediately command the respect of the dressing room.
Much to the chagrin of most, Big Sam has been spoken of as a possible candidate. Mainly we are in such a perilous position and he has a great track record of keeping problem teams in the Premier League. As we know a loss up at Newcastle (which is highly likely) will take us to within a couple of points of the relegation zone, so we are very much a problem team. I was initially in favour of bringing him back in to do a rescue job, but I have changed my mind. Big Sam would not be a long-term option. He strikes me as a guy who wants to retire to Spain some time soon. He is in his late sixties, after all. And his style of play is dire.
