Frank Lampard could do next Chelsea manager a huge favour

Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard reviews Wolves defeat

Frank Lampard could put Chelsea’s next permanent manager in a highly promising position but would risk angering Todd Boehly by doing so before leaving Stamford Bridge at the end of the current season. Lampard was appointed to replace Graham Potter on an interim basis last week and tasted defeat in his first game back in charge of the Blues, who were beaten away from home by Wolves on Saturday.

The result leaves Chelsea with almost no hope of qualifying for European football next season unless they manage to win the Champions League, which will come as a major blow to co-owner Boehly given the level of investment he has provided since taking over from Roman Abramovich last year. However, such a predicament could serve as a blessing in disguise for whoever replaces Lampard in the summer, with the Blues in desperate need of a new leading figure to oversee their rebuilding process in west London.

It would certainly be disappointing for Chelsea’s squad members and supporters to go through next season without playing in Europe, but it could also give the club a golden opportunity to fix the glaring on-pitch issues which have plagued their recent efforts. They have struggled to find the back of the net on a consistent basis since the beginning of the campaign, while a lack of team cohesion has also become apparent following their large-scale recruitment drive last summer and again in January.

The absence of European football would give Chelsea’s new manager more time on the training ground without having to worry about travelling too much, while the Blues would also play a reduced number of matches over the course of next season. However, it seems clear that Boehly would not be overly keen on missing out on the extra revenue that comes with playing in Europe.

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A year without the Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference League could be the catalyst for Chelsea to recapture their form of old, though, by taking a step back in order to regroup before leaping forward in two seasons’ time. It has worked for Arsenal in the past, with the Gunners not featuring in any continental tournament last time around before going on to challenge for the Premier League title a year later after taking the time to rebuild.

It remains to be seen whether Chelsea will be able to do the same, with the likely absence of European football on their fixture list next season able to serve them well in the long run if their next permanent manager can make the most of his extra time working with the players at his disposal.

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Arsenal icon Paul Merson recently claimed that Chelsea’s decision-makers will not be too concerned about missing out on qualification for any of UEFA’s three competitions, telling Sky Sports: “I think it’s going to get to a stage where they can’t want to get in the Europa Conference [League], surely.

“Why would you want to get in that on Thursday nights? Chelsea have got a squad together to go and try to win the Premier League, not play on Thursday nights in Magaluf.”

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