James Corden played a surprising role in Frank Lampard’s return to Chelsea, according to reports.
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly decided to sack Graham Potter last weekend after the Blues slipped into the bottom-half of the Premier League.
Potter only arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer – replacing Champions League-winning manager Thomas Tuchel – but failed to get a tune out of his expensive squad and was sacked after less than seven months in the job.
Julian Nagelsmann, Mauricio Pochettino and Luis Enrique were quickly identified as possible managerial targets but Chelsea have decided to wait until the summer to appoint a new boss as they are desperate to get the decision right.
As a result, the club were soon looking for a short-term solution to replace Potter and appointed Chelsea legend Lampard as caretaker manager until the end of the season.
Lampard – one of Chelsea’s greatest ever players – has already managed his former club between 2019 and 2021.
But Boehly was not put off by Lampard’s previous spell in charge and was even urged to re-hire the ex-England midfielder by TV star Corden, according to The Sun.
Boehly and Corden have become friends over the past 12 months, with the pair spotted enjoying a Chelsea match together earlier in the season and on a night out in London.
Corden knows Lampard through the Sky show A League of Their Own, where Lampard’s cousin Jamie Redknapp is a team captain.
While former Everton boss Lampard has only been appointed until the end of the season, there is a feeling that he could earn himself a permanent contract if Chelsea improve in the Premier League and Champions League.
But his Chelsea return got off to a poor start on Sunday as the Blues lost 1-0 to relegation-battlers Wolves.
Speaking after the defeat, Lampard said: ‘We have been working here for one or two days and it’s about getting an understanding of that and the mindset of the team.
‘There has been a lot of change and that’s not an excuse but things need to improve and I think that performance summed it up. I have to get an understanding of it.
‘When I say mindset, it’s not necessarily a negative. You have to get used to winning and make it a habit.
‘We will work and recreate. We will get into those positions and repeat it. Maybe there’s a feeling you won’t score. I’ve been there before and as a club we need to address it.
‘It’s not where the club wants to be but it’s the reality and we have to work through it. You have to get to a point where you can move forward. We need to lift it more than we did today.’
Chelsea’s dismal form this season comes despite Boehly spending almost £600m on new signings since buying the club from Roman Abramovich last year.
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