"I won three titles but I should have won five or six" - Frank Lampard tells Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly not to follow in Abramovich's footsteps
Caretaker manager Frank Lampard has urged Chelsea owner Todd Boehly not to follow in Roman Abramovich's footsteps when it comes to hiring and firing managers.
In June 2003, the Russian billionaire became the owner of the companies that controlled Chelsea. The club then embarked on a wildly successful journey, winning every major trophy in football during his 19-year reign in west London.
In total, the Blues won 21 titles with Abramovich as their owner, who was forced to leave the club in March 2022 after sanctions from the UK Government. Apart from trophies, his stint at Stamford Bridge is remembered for his impatience with managers.
In total, 13 managers served under Abramovich during his time as Chelsea's owner. Frank Lampard was, of course, a huge part of the team's success from 2001 to 2014, winning three league titles with them as a player.
However, the Englishman believes he could have won more if the Russian owner wasn't so trigger-happy. He said in a recent interview, via the Sun:
"I won three titles but I should have won five or six. That’s my feeling. We might have won more titles if we’d had more consistency and been able to work in one direction. And I feel like we should have.
He added:
"If you are trying to work for something, you look at the successful models at the top end of the league at the minute. You see managers that have been working there a long time, recruitment that is aligned with the type of squad and identity they want to bring and it works in a direction."
Lampard became Chelsea's head coach in an interim capacity last month shortly after Graham Potter was sacked on April 2.
Chelsea close to appointing ex-PSG boss - reports
Chelsea are reportedly finalizing the last few details before confirming Mauricio Pochettino as their new permanent manager.
As per 90min, the 51-year-old Argentine tactician has received a contract offer from the Blues and recently held talks with the club. He was sacked by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) last summer despite winning the Ligue 1 title in the 2021-22 season and has been without a club since.
The west London giants have already seen four different managers take charge of the club since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's takeover. Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter have served as permanent bosses, while Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard have been appointed on a temporary basis.
The 12th-placed Blues have lost all five games across competitions under Lampard and arguably have nothing to play for this season. A league win against Arsenal later today (May 2), however, would be a major mood uplifter for their frustrated fans.