Wembley heartache to Merseyside struggles – Frank Lampard’s managerial journey

Frank Lampard is set to make an unexpected return as Chelsea manager until the end of the season.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how he has fared in his three previous coaching assignments.

Derby

Frank Lampard led Derby to a play-off final
Frank Lampard led Derby to a play-off final (Nick Potts/PA)

The former England midfielder got his start in management when Championship side Derby came calling ahead of the 2018-19 season.

It was almost a huge success as he led the Rams into the play-off final, only to be edged out by Aston Villa at Wembley.

In 57 games across all competitions he had a win percentage of just over 42, with 24 victories, 17 draws and 16 defeats.

Lampard’s Chelsea links saw him take Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount on loan, with the pair playing important roles for the side.

His time at Pride Park when Chelsea decided to bring him back to Stamford Bridge just a year into his head coaching career.

Chelsea

Frank Lampard struggled as Chelsea boss
Frank Lampard struggled as Chelsea boss (Michael Regan/NMC Pool/PA)

Lampard provided an instant connection for the Chelsea fanbase after a curious year under Maurizio Sarri, but a transfer ban at the start of the 2019-20 campaign dialled down expectations.

A three-month delay during the Covid-19 break further complicated matters, but a fourth-place finish represented a reasonable return. Once again there was disappointment at Wembley, though, as they lost 2-1 to Arsenal in the FA Cup final.

Things tailed off as a belated flurry of signings such as Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Edouard Mendy and Kai Havertz fell flat and he was sacked with the Blues ninth in the league late in January.

After 84 games in charge he had a win percentage of 52.3, with 44 wins, 17 draws and 23 defeats.

That places him well below Sarri, Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel among recent Chelsea bosses, but comfortably above the recently departed Graham Potter.

Everton

Frank Lampard did not last long at Everton
Frank Lampard did not last long at Everton (Victoria Jones/PA)

A year-long sabbatical came to an end when the Toffees drafted him in to lift the mood after an unhappy union with former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez.

He clocked in on January 31 2022 and lasted just under a year.

The club were 16th when he arrived and 16th at the end of the campaign, with survival guaranteed with a game to go.

By the time he left they had slumped to 19th after a 10-match winless streak.

There were just 12 wins in his 44-game tenure, a worrying win percentage of 27.27 placed against twice as many defeats.

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