Lampard was not up to the Chelsea job, claims Jorginho

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 19 May 2021 16:54 BST
• 3 min read

Frank Lampard was not capable of performing the job as Chelsea manager, according to Jorginho.

Lampard was sacked in January with the Blues in the middle of the table, having spent around 18 months in charge at Stamford Bridge.

READ MORE: Tuchel delivers Man City masterclass as he explodes the myth of Lampard

Jorginho was often overlooked in his plans, and the Italy international midfielder has enjoyed something of a renaissance in his fortunes since Thomas Tuchel replaced the former Chelsea and England midfielder.

Indeed, he suggested that the Blues job was too much for Lampard, who only had brief managerial experience at Championship level with Derby County, to handle.

“Look, I’ll be really sincere here on Lampard. I believe, given he was a legend at the club, he skipped some steps necessary for learning before moving to a big club,” Jorginho told ESPN Brasil.

“He came to a club where he is a legend, without having experience at other clubs. I think he came too soon, skipped a few steps ahead and wasn’t ready for a job at this level, to be honest.”

Tuchel vs Lampard

Lampard at Chelsea

Lampard joined Chelsea as manager in 2019, with the club in a difficult situation given that they were in the midst of a transfer ban and had just lost key player Eden Hazard to Real Madrid.

He successfully promoted numerous players from the youth system into the first team, including Reece James and Mason Mount, who have both continued to establish themselves in the thinking of Tuchel.

Lampard’s second season proven rather more complicated. During 2020, no club spent more money than Chelsea, but big additions like Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech failed to flourish under his management.

Indeed, the results of the Blues dipped significantly and when Lampard was ultimately sacked, they faced a difficult race to qualify for Europe.

Tuchel has turned their fortunes around in dramatic style, with Chelsea fourth in the standings with eight games remaining, albeit facing stiff competition for the final Champions League spot.