Frank Lampard admits to being disappointed by lack of time in classy reaction to Chelsea sacking
Last Updated: January 26, 2021 1:22 pm
Lamps ousted
The major talking point across the English media on Monday has of course surrounded Lampard’s Stamford Bridge exit.
On the back of weeks of questionable form, culminating in the club slipping to a lowly 9th in the Premier League table, the Chelsea board eventually came to the tough decision earlier today to part ways with their one-time midfield star.
This came despite Lampard having actually overseen 3 wins in 4 over the space of the last two weeks, the latest of which saw the Blues book their spot in the FA Cup’s last-16 at the expense of Luton.
Chelsea’s official statement regarding the decision read:
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.
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.
Chelsea Football Club has today parted company with Head Coach Frank Lampard.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 25, 2021
Lampard’s spell in charge of his former club, in the end, lasted 18 months, during which time the Englishman guided the Pensioners to a 4th-placed Premier League finish, and an FA Cup final.
‘A huge privilege’
In the hours since his dismissal was made official, though, what had of course since been patiently awaited was the reaction of Lampard himself.
The 42-year-old, despite the disappointing nature of Chelsea’s recent displays, was expected to be handed at least a little more time to turn things around in southwest London, a sentiment which Lampard himself has since expressed, via a personal statement.
Taking to Instagram a short time ago, the former English international penned an altogether classy farewell message, revealing his gratitude to club and fans alike.
Significantly, though, Lampard also admitted to being ‘disappointed’ at not having ‘had the time’ to truly leave his mark, with the now ex-Blues boss having been hopeful of guiding them ‘to the next level’:
‘It has been a huge privilege and an honour to manage Chelsea, a club that has been a big part of my life for so long.’
‘Firstly, I would like to thank the fans for the incredible support that I have received over the last 18 months. I hope they know what that means to me.’
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 06: Jody Morris (L) and Frank Lampard, Manager of Chelsea (R) look on prior to the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Chelsea FC at St Mary’s Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
‘When I took on this role I understood the challenges that lay ahead in a difficult time for the football club.’
‘I am proud of the achievements that we made, and I am proud of the academy players that have made their step into the first team and performed so well. They are the future of the club.’
‘I am disappointed not to have had the time this season to take the club forward and bring it to the next level.’
‘I want to thank Mr Abramovich, the board, players, my coaching team and everyone at the club for their hard work and dedication, especially in these unprecedented and challenging times.’
‘I wish the team and the club every success for the future.’
View this post on Instagram
Abramovich heralds ‘icon’ Frank Lampard in Chelsea sacking statement
The 101 European football quiz: January 25th – February 1st
This article was edited by Josh Barker.
Chelsea betting odds, next game:
Chelsea vs Man Utd odds: result, both teams to score, correct score & goalscorers
| Chelsea vs Man Utd Result/Both teams score | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 7/2 | 11/4 |
| Man Utd | 11/2 | 5/1 |
| Draw | 10/3 | 9/1 |
| Chelsea vs Man Utd Goalscorers | First | Last | Anytime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olivier Giroud | 21/10 | 21/10 | 13/10 |
| Tammy Abraham | 9/4 | 9/4 | 7/5 |
| Timo Werner | 11/4 | 11/4 | 7/4 |
| Anthony Martial | 10/3 | 10/3 | 11/5 |
| Christian Pulisic | 10/3 | 10/3 | 11/5 |
Chelsea's latest videos
Chelsea latest news
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Manchester City FC | 26 | 36 | 62 |
| 2 | Manchester United FC | 25 | 21 | 49 |
| 3 | Leicester City FC | 25 | 17 | 49 |
| 4 | West Ham United FC | 26 | 9 | 45 |
| 5 | Chelsea FC | 25 | 16 | 43 |
| 6 | Liverpool FC | 25 | 11 | 40 |
| 7 | Everton FC | 24 | 4 | 40 |
| 8 | Aston Villa FC | 23 | 11 | 36 |
| 9 | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 24 | 10 | 36 |
| 10 | Leeds United | 25 | 0 | 35 |
| 11 | Arsenal FC | 25 | 5 | 34 |
| 12 | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 25 | -6 | 33 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace FC | 25 | -14 | 32 |
| 14 | Southampton FC | 25 | -12 | 30 |
| 15 | Burnley FC | 25 | -12 | 28 |
| 16 | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 25 | -6 | 26 |
| 17 | Newcastle United FC | 25 | -17 | 25 |
| 18 | Fulham FC | 25 | -11 | 22 |
| 19 | West Bromwich Albion | 25 | -36 | 14 |
| 20 | Sheffield United FC | 25 | -26 | 11 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 17 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 15 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 13 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 13 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 13 |
| Calvert-Lewin, Dominic | Everton FC | 13 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 12 |
| Gundogan, Ilkay | Manchester City FC | 11 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United FC | 10 |
| Watkins, Ollie | Aston Villa FC | 10 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 9 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 9 |
| Barnes, Harvey | Leicester City FC | 9 |
| Zaha, Wilfried | Crystal Palace FC | 9 |
| Maddison, James | Leicester City FC | 8 |
| Ings, Danny | Southampton FC | 8 |
| Lacazette, Alexandre | Arsenal FC | 8 |
| Aubameyang, Pierre-Emerick | Arsenal FC | 8 |
| Soucek, Tomas | West Ham United FC | 8 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United FC | 7 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallagher, Conor | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | 8 |
| Bellerin, Hector | Arsenal FC | 0 | 8 |
| Hayden, Isaac | Newcastle United FC | 0 | 8 |
| Lundstram, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 6 |
| Evans, Jonny | Leicester City FC | 0 | 7 |
| Egan, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 6 |
| Bissouma, Yves | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 1 | 6 |
| Milivojevic, Luka | Crystal Palace FC | 1 | 6 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 6 |
| Klich, Mateusz | Leeds United | 0 | 6 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 0 | 6 |
| Hojbjerg, Pierre | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 0 | 6 |
| Xhaka, Granit | Arsenal FC | 1 | 5 |
| Maguire, Harry | Manchester United FC | 0 | 6 |
| Romeu, Oriol | Southampton FC | 0 | 6 |
| Luiz, Douglas | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 5 |
| Kante, N`Golo | Chelsea FC | 0 | 6 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 0 | 5 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 0 | 5 |
| Dallas, Stuart | Leeds United | 0 | 5 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 11 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 10 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 10 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City FC | 10 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 6 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 6 |
| Cresswell, Aaron | West Ham United FC | 6 |
| Digne, Lucas | Everton FC | 6 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 5 |
| Maddison, James | Leicester City FC | 5 |
| Firmino, Roberto | Liverpool FC | 5 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 5 |
| Werner, Timo | Chelsea FC | 5 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 5 |
| Neto, Pedro | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 5 |
| Robertson, Andrew | Liverpool FC | 5 |
| Shaw, Luke | Manchester United FC | 5 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 4 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 4 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United FC | 4 |
