Frank Lampard's time at the helm of Chelsea has come to an end as the Blues have officially announced the sacking of the English coach. The London giants took to social media on Monday with a statement after weeks and weeks of poor performances, with the Stamford Bridge side dropping to ninth in the table.
"This has been a very difficult decision, and not one that the owner and the Board have taken lightly," the club's statement read.
Chelsea Football Club has today parted company with Head Coach Frank Lampard.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 25, 2021
"There can never be a good time to part ways with a club legend such as Frank, but after lengthy deliberation and consideration it was decided a change is needed now to give the Club time to improve performances and results this season."
Reports emerged early on Monday that the iconic midfielder would be relieved of his duties after the club's dip in form. Confirmation came a while later but Chelsea have – so far – made no announcement as to who will succeed Lampard as the new Stamford Bridge boss.
This decision will not leave many surprised. Despite spending almost $300M in the summer, the Blues are worse off than last season, sitting ninth in the table with only eight wins and 29 points after 19 top-flight fixtures. With only two wins from their last eight league games, five of which ended in defeats, Chelsea were undoubtedly on a downward spiral. The Blues best summed it up in their statement, writing:
"We are grateful to Frank for what he has achieved in his time as Head Coach of the Club. However, recent results and performances have not met the Club's expectations, leaving the Club mid-table without any clear path to sustained improvement."
Key to their dip is the form of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, or the lack thereof. The two marquee signings have been abysmal under Lampard, with rumors emerging last week that the board were on the lookout for a German-speaking coach in order to get the best out of the former RB Leipzig and Leverkusen stars.
As a result, it will come as little surprise that Chelsea are being heavily linked with Thomas Tuchel. In fact, Sky Sports go as far as reporting that the former Dortmund and PSG tactician has already been lined up as Super Frank's replacement, having left Paris with two league titles, the domestic quadruple, and the best win percentage in Ligue 1 history.
