Will Frank Lampard achieve success as Chelsea manager? | Good Morning Transfers

Right, okay, we're expecting some big, big breaking news on good morning transfers. Frank Lampard is expected to be the new Chelsea manager. We've been expecting it for a few days. We're just waiting for official confirmation. He will replace Richo Sarri, who left for Juventus last month, and will leave Derby after taking them to the playoff final last season. We're waiting that confirmation, but we've got lots to talk to with our transfer team this morning. We've got Michael Bridge, Anton Tolui, JD Dyer and Mark McCadam. Okay, so when this news is confirmed, Mark, give us one of Frank Lampard's key priorities. Well, he's got to hit the ground running, hasn't he? It's a massive, massive job. It's an exciting opportunity for Frank Lampard, and this is something that I think for the first time in many, many years will actually enthuse the Chelsea fans. When you look at the last time they probably got excited by a managerial appointment, probably when Jose Mourinho returned in the summer of 2013. Since then, they've been some incredible managers, but I don't think anyone will quite capture the imagination quite like Frank would do if he's to be appointed. Yeah, I mean, that's one priority that he would have as well, is bringing through the young players, because he can't sign anyone. Yeah, look, so much excitement from Chelsea supporters, and I completely understand why. Most Chelsea supporters, he's their hero, their favourite player for the last 10, 15 years. Totally understand that. My only reservations would be, how long does the hero status last? At the end of the day, Roman Abramovich wants his team in the Champions League every season. If you're not in the Champions League, you'd better win that Europa League. We've seen it before with heroes. Glenn Hoddle, Tottenham, Alan Shearer, Newcastle, and I think, Tom, it's happened. It's just been announced. It has now happened. OK, it has finally happened. We were expecting it at bang on nine o'clock. It's taken a couple of minutes. Have you got that up there? Just tell us what the pictures are saying there, Anton. It's a picture of Frank Lampard with Marina Groscaia, of course, the sort of head woman at Chelsea, and it says, Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce Frank Lampard as our new head coach. One of the greatest players in our history. During his long and illustrious career, Lampard returns to Stamford Bridge, having signed a three-year contract. Right, we weren't sure how long it would be, and that's quite interesting, isn't it, JD? Head coach. Yeah, that's kind of the modern sort of term for a manager, as they turn around and say nowadays. But the coach part is the important part to worry about when they're doing that title, because he's going to be able to just focus on the players and focus on bringing that derby style that we saw and that managerial ability that we saw in terms of on the field and in the stuff that they're producing and bring that straight into the action. He's going to have a full preseason. We're missing kind of a couple of days, but he's going to have a full preseason to revamp this squad, focus on the squad and work out what he wants. He's going to have to hit the ground running. This has happened in the last few moments. It's what we like on Good Morning Transfers. And we have got some quotes just in to us as well now, which Dave Reader's got. Yeah, there's a real buzz around the place as this breaking news just coming through to us here on Good Morning Transfers. Frank Lampard has had this to say. I'm immensely proud to be returning to Chelsea as head coach. Everyone knows my love for this club and the history we have shared. However, my sole focus is on the job in hand and preparing for the season ahead. I am here to work hard, bring further success to the club, and I cannot wait to get started. We have also heard from the Chelsea director, Marina Granovskaia, who does all of the negotiating at Chelsea. She was the one that has negotiated with Frank Lampard for this deal. She says it gives us great pleasure to welcome Frank back to Chelsea as head coach. Frank is possessing fantastic knowledge and understanding of the club. And last season, he demonstrated he is one of the most talented young coaches in the game. After 13 years with us as a player where he became a club legend and our record goal scorer, we believe this is the perfect time for him to return and are delighted that he has done so. We will do everything we can to ensure he has all the support required to be a huge success. Those are the words of Frank Lampard and Marina Granovskaia. We have just got the reaction from Chelsea, just in to us now is the reaction from Derby. We cannot forget about them. Lampard has left Derby after one season in charge. He got them to the playoff final. And Derby have also just confirmed this news as well. They say there is an undisclosed compensation package that has been agreed for Lampard to return to the club where he enjoyed unrivalled success as a player. And this is quite interesting. Assistant manager Jodie Morris and first team coach Chris Jones are also leaving Derby to join Lampard's coaching staff at Stamford Bridge as part of that compensation agreement. Some quotes from Mel Morris, the executive chairman of Derby. He says, Frank, along with Jodie and Chris, leave with our best wishes. And I sincerely hope they have success at Chelsea. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Frank. And while we would have loved his time at Derby County to continue to build on the positives we saw last season, the opportunity for him to return to Chelsea as their head coach was huge. As a club, we've enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Chelsea recently and would like that to continue moving forward. That's, of course, because of the loan deals, which now Lampard will have back at Chelsea. And there's actually some quotes from Lampard here as well on his time at Derby, which Derby fans will be wanting to hear. I would like to say a special thank you to Mel Morris, the players, the staff and everyone who's associated with Derby County Football Club. It's been a fantastic experience for me, and I feel privileged to have managed such a prestigious club. Most of all, I would like to thank the fans who supported me and the team from the day I arrived in the city. I wish everyone the best of luck going forward. And they just end, by the way, by saying the club's process for appointing a new manager is ongoing and a further update will be communicated in due course. That's something we'll talk about later on, maybe even in transfer talk at midday, because they're heavily linked with Philippe Coccu as well, aren't they, as their new head coach at Derby. But we'll get to that later on. This is about Chelsea and Lampard. And I tell you what, we'll get some reaction now from Jamie Redknapp. I think it's a great move, not just for Frank, I think also for Chelsea. It's an astute move in terms of you needed someone to probably stabilise the club a little bit. Now you've lost your best player, you've got a transfer embargo and they've got one of their own. You know, the fans adore Frank. You're going to need time because there's going to be a lot of changes next season in terms of you can't bring any real personnel to add a big name star after losing Ed and Hazard. So they have to be patient. And I think everyone will be because it is Frank Lampard. We bumped into each other at the hairdresser's. You probably know today, but no, we had we had a conversation about it. And it's a difficult one because I know he enjoyed his time at Derby. He loved it. I think he had a great rapport with the fans. But I think when an opportunity like this comes along, he just can't turn it down. Now you can have everyone voicing their opinions. Some people say it may be too early for Frank. Other people say, no, it's the right time. I just think from personally when, you know, Frank, someone like Frank knows the game, he's worked with some of the best managers in the world. In terms of timing, I think it is the right time. I think Frank will, the players will respect him. But patience will be the key because Chelsea are a hire and fire club. No matter what you say, every manager that has a year or two, no matter how well they do, they seem to leave. It almost feels like they might have to change that process and maybe give someone and stay from the outset. Frank's going to get given time because this is the most difficult period probably anyone's ever had. You know, nobody's had to face losing their best player. No one's had to face a transfer embargo. So patience will be will be the key. The fans, I have no doubt they will give him time. But to say this year he's got to get in the top four and things like that. I think that's unfair. You have to be realistic. They're in a position where they've never been. Life without Eden Hazard is going to be extremely tough. And we've all watched Chelsea over the years and the amount of times you go and watch Chelsea struggling, how they're going to come up with a goal. Eden Hazard beats two or three players, cuts in, bends one in the top corner. We go, that's how they're going to do it. So you need players like that that can do something special. And for the time being, you haven't got one. The expectations will be to finish in the top four. Obviously, that's what they're going to want. But I just think you have to be realistic and see how the season goes. I think there'll be moments in the season where there'll be it'll be difficult. There'll be a struggle because, as I say, the Eden Hazard effect, you know, it doesn't matter what manager you have, you know, Guardiola, Mourinho, anybody, you know, they are going to struggle about that quality of player. So but I think if if they were to finish in the top four, that would be an amazing season, considering what the club have had to go through in the last year with the embargo, etc. So but I think that you just have to be realistic. Top six is a certainty with the players they've got still and the manager. So I've got no no doubts they'll do that. But top four, I think will be, you know, that was what Frank will be trying to do. I think if you look at the response from the supporters, everybody's wanted him back at the football club, you know, he's a hero through, you know, the actual playing career he had at Chelsea, arguably one of Chelsea's best ever players, the record goal scorer. So he comes back to the club with a group of supporters that have admiration for him, you know, him coming in with his coaching staff. Jodie Morris, part of that, you know, has experience with working with the young players at the club. I think with this embargo over two windows, they may well have to use these these youngsters, especially to get, you know, depth into into the squad. I don't think anyone will be expecting him to bridge the gap between Man City and Liverpool. I think, you know, they'll get better and get stronger again. This season, but, you know, there's a there's a fair argument that Chelsea between themselves, Man United, Tottenham and Arsenal will be going for the next best position. And I think if Chelsea can equal what they've done last season and finish third again in the league, I think that's successful in the league. That is Chelsea fans get in touch. We want to hear from you. Hashtag transport transfer talk at Sky Sports News. We'll read out some of your tweets, Darby fans as well. We might wait a bit later on to hear from you, but we want to know what you think about the fact that you've lost your head coach, even though we did all know that it was coming right. OK, Anton, earlier on, J.D. said that he has to hit the ground running. What about their fixtures? Can they? Well, the opening game Sunday live on Sky is at Old Trafford against Manchester United. They play Man City as well. And two former club legends in the in the dugout for Manchester United and Chelsea. This is you know, this is it's a live on Sky Sport. It's a difficult start. My point is, yeah, I mean, you heard Jamie Redknapp there say, you know, top four is still what he's got to aim for. J.D. says he's got to hit the ground running. It's not this is not an easy. This is not an easy gig. It's not an easy start for Chelsea. And it's the time factor, isn't it? This is the thing. He's got a three year contract, but it's just because he's a club legend. Does that mean he will get more time? Well, do you think he will, J.D.? Yeah, I've said it already. I just don't want to be in 12 months having the same conversation about Chelsea not understanding that Lampard requires this time. We spoke about it early in the window, saying that he's not going to have this transfer window to improve his squad. So he's only going to be able to adapt and improve his ability and his fortunes with the players that's available to him right now. Yeah. And by having that, you have to give him at least extended period of time. And I think I think Chelsea have done that with a three year contract. I think they are understanding that he's a young manager and they want to kind of bring that feel good factor back to the club. And if he does this season, he deserves the chance to be able to sign players next season. Well, this is what Chelsea are getting. Let's have a look at his record at Derby. You can see their win rate of 43 percent, not by anything over 40 percent. A bit like a test batsman, isn't it? Is fairly good over 40. So if it's 56 games because of the playoffs, they are plenty. 124 through 17 and lost 15. And that was, of course, in the championship. Right. So we've talked about his first few games, Anton and JD's talked about the importance of giving him time. But of course, something that he'll know very well, Michael, is that he's lost his best player. Eden Hazard, of course, huge, huge loss for him. You saw what he did in Hazard in the Europa League final, you know, tore Arsenal to Shreds, they won 4-1, Chelsea winning the Europa League. It's a tough year for Lampard. And it's probably come a year or two too early for him. It was inevitable. I heard Mel Morris say it was going to happen at some point. It's probably a year or two too early. But look, it's happened. He's in now. Really? That's a bit harsh. I think we've actually sat down, we thought about it and we and we say this is probably the perfect time to give Lampard the job. They've got a window which no manager with a wealth of experience that wants to come in and put his own immediate stamp on the team. He's going to want to come in with no window to come in and bring his own players in. Bringing in Lampard, he has that feel good factor. And the important factor to also focus on is Jodie Morris, who knows that club inside out as well. Yeah, I mean, that is right. And with the transfer ban, that's absolutely right. But you see with club legends like Glenn Hoddle, as I said, Alan Shearer. But it's it's brilliant at the time. But when it starts to drag on, will the invincibility stay there? But he's so popular and he will have a little bit longer, of course. Yeah, I've just got some tweets to read out as well. Because you're all getting in touch and keep getting in touch. Hashtag transfer talking a bit of a difference here. Miles Foster says a total leap in the dark for Banovich. Hopefully he gets the time he needs, which is exactly what J.D. has just been saying. There's a Kyle Mason. This is quite an interesting one here. I'll be interested to hear what people think about. He says, I'll back Lampard all the way. Anything 17th or above is acceptable. But wait for it. Bring in young players, get us to top five and that'll be a success. Cup run is a bonus. There's loads coming in. But I actually want to ask the transfer team about that. Is it honestly just a case of just get through this season and then see what you can build on? That's one thing. That's one thing I'm hearing a lot is it's an exciting time to be a Chelsea fan. Well, this one here, Jamie Wilkinson, what a feeling for years. We felt disconnected from the club we love. And now we have one off the back of finishing third and winning a European trophy. Amazing. Is it exciting if you start losing games? I mean, if you've forgotten what it's like to lose a game, Chelsea fans, because I think this is like it's not fun being a fan of a team that doesn't win consistently is not. I think you're being unfair because they're they're the fans. So they understand what their connection is with whether the manager, whether it's the players, whether it's the effort. So that's a man and saying is that barometer swing can swing quite quickly. We all know that. But I feel like the feel good factor of having Lampard will give the patients that they that they want to have. They want to see rebuilding and Chelsea fans, the Chelsea fans I've spoken to. They want to see the club bring through this youth product. That's true. There's no point in having all that successes in the youth game if you're not going to give them an opportunity. Yeah, I mean, the the word excitement is what's getting used from the Chelsea fans, Ashley Fernell, Paul Bishop, Josh, John Lord, all tweeting in. And exciting is the word that they're all using. And and and that at least is, I suppose, for a club who, even though you're right, they did very well last season, if they do feel a disconnect and this is working, it has to be seen as a positive appointment. Yeah, absolutely. I think it's a really positive appointment. We've said before on the show about Roman Brnovich has spent what over a billion pounds on Chelsea since he went to the club 15 or 16 years ago. He's bought the best players in the world. He's taken them to the club. They've won trophies. They've won silverware Champions League. There isn't a trophy that they haven't won, particularly look at Frank Lampard's record as a player. He won three Premier League titles, a Champions League, Europa League. He's been there, done that and got the T-shirt. Now, this is a different form of Chelsea now that will go and approach things in a different way. I think Frank Lampard's got a free hit this season. I think that's what the Chelsea fans are saying, that whatever happens, they'll be behind him. And I think the owner will be the same as well, because there's this connection with him as a player, him as now a manager and the fans that's not been there for a long, long time. I said it early on in the show. This is the first managerial appointment that Chelsea fans will be excited by since Mourinho coming back in the summer of 2013. I think there's a buzz around Stamford Bridge again, and I think it starts today with Frank Lampard. Yeah, well, I can't keep up with all these tweets, but thankfully, Dave Reed can. I'm not sure about that to be honest, Tom. Loads coming in all the time. Pacey Daz puts in full capital letters. Super Frankie Lampard. Great appointment. Can't wait for the season to start. Jamie, what a feeling. For years, we felt disconnected from the club we love, and now we have one of our own at the helm. This is the start of a new era. Jamie, very, very happy. Very emotional morning for all Chelsea fans. He says Lampard is the right choice given the transfer embargo and loss of Eden Hazard. The club have to be as patient as the fans surely will be. That's obviously what the guys were talking about, about whether he will get that opportunity to be patient. Very excited, says John, to see Lamps has been given this opportunity. We'll be tough without Hazard, but I believe he'll get the best out of our youth. Patrick, it isn't just Frank Lampard's footballing career and world class skill that we love. It's his love for this club, his passion and his desire to win. And we'll end with Ashley, who says, I'm a very happy the legend has come back home and I think he will do fine. Even if we don't get top four finish, he needs time. And at least Callum Hudson-Odoi will finally get game time. Possibly, he says, Callum Hudson-Odoi is the next Eden Hazard. Maybe have your say. Use that hashtag, transfer talk.