"Players will respect him immediately" - Gary Lineker suggests Chelsea legend as Gareth Southgate's England successor
Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Gary Lineker has said that former Chelsea player and manager Frank Lampard should be in line to replace Gareth Southgate as England's manager after Euro 2024. The Three Lions reached the semi-finals of Euro 2024 after defeating Switzerland 5-3 on penalties in the quarter-final on Saturday, July 6.
Switzerland scored the first goal through Breel Embolo in the 75th minute. However, Bukayo Saka equalized with a screamer in the 80th minute, sending the match into extra time.
With both teams drawn level even after extra time, the match went into penalties. Jordan Pickford dove to the left and saved Switzerland's first spot-kick which was taken by Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji.
Be that as it may, England haven't looked as comfortable with the ball as goals have been difficult to come by. Furthermore, Gareth Southgate's tactics have been heavily criticized, with former England player Lineker suggesting that Euro 2024 would be his last as manager.
The former Everton striker feels that erstwhile Chelsea manager Lampard is tactically sound and would command instant respect from England players. Here's what he said on 'The Rest is Football' podcast:
"This will be Gareth Southgate’s last tournament. I think, whatever happens. If he wins, I think he’ll absolutely bow out, and if he doesn’t then I think he’ll bow out. It’ll be his decision. But I wouldn’t disregard Frank Lampard. I think he tactically gets it. I think the players will respect him immediately. I’m getting ahead of things here.
"I think he’s been a bit unlucky in his managerial career in some ways. I think he gets it tactically."
England will now face Netherlands in the semi-final on Wednesday, July 10.
What was Frank Lampard's managerial record at Chelsea?
The former Blues midfielder returned to Stamford Bridge as a manager in 2019 when he replaced Italian manager Maurizio Sarri. Lampard remained at the helm of the club for 571 days. He managed the club for 84 matches, winning 44 and losing 23 matches.
His first match in charge of Chelsea didn't go as planned as the Blues lost 0-4 to Manchester United on the opening day of the 2019-20 Premier League season. It was the biggest defeat in their first game since 1978.
Lampard played a crucial role in signing several players, including Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz, and Édouard Mendy. The Blues began the season strongly but dropped to the ninth position in the Premier League in December.
Lampard was sacked in 2021 and was replaced by German manager Thomas Tuchel. The former Bayern Munich manager helped Chelsea win the UEFA Champions League after defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the final.