Why Derby County boss Frank Lampard must reject Chelsea job if offered to become Maurizio Sarri replacement

Follow us on Google Discover

The Rams boss and Blues legend has been linked with the Stamford Bridge job.

Frank Lampard has enjoyed a fruitful time at Derby County so far, with the club still well in the Championship playoff race and having enjoyed two decent cup runs.

The Rams currently sit seventh in the table, just two points behind sixth-placed Bristol City, and reached the fourth round of the Carabao Cup and fifth round of the FA Cup (Transfermarkt).

However, there have been some worrying reports emerging in the national press, with Sky Sports News reporting that Lampard is on Chelsea’s shortlist amid rumours of Maurizio Sarri being on the verge of leaving.

The report claims that Gianfranco Zola is likely to become interim manager until the end of the season and that former Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane is also in the running.

Lampard, being a Chelsea legend doing well in management, was likely to be linked to the Blues hotseat, but even if he gets offered the job, he should look at the bigger picture in terms of his career and turn it down.

At Derby, the 40-year-old is under pressure to deliver a positive campaign for a club that has now been out of the top flight for a decade but the spotlight is not as intense as would be at Chelsea, where the expectation of Premier League and European glory always looms large.

Likewise, time is not a luxury afforded to many who take the Blues reins, and over the years, any significant changes in style that have failed in the short term haven’t had a chance to become long term (very much like what seems to be happening with Sarri now).

And even though Lampard has that special bond with Chelsea, so did Roberto Di Matteo, and he was gone by November 2012 – months after having won the Champions League as interim.

Put simply, the Rams boss is at a delicate stage in his career where he needs stability, and joining a club that has claimed the scalps of rookies (Andre Villas Boas) and veterans (Carlo Ancelotti, Luiz Felipe Scolari) alike is likely to disrupt his learning curve.