Pros and cons of Frank Lampard taking charge at Oxford United

Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has been heavily linked with his first job in management. Oxford United supposedly contacted him with plans to talk about their vacant manager role.

When Frank Lampard retired earlier in the year many were quick to speculate on his next career step. Since then he has been on our tellies in punditry roles – giving off a very good impression of himself in the process – and on various silly chat shows. In the background of all of this he has been working on his coaching badges, apparently doing so at Chelsea.

It was only a matter of time, then, before he started being linked to various clubs.

League One’s Oxford United recently lost their manager, Michael Appleton, to Leicester City. The Foxes appointed him assistant manager to his good friend Craig Shakespeare – a fine career move for a very promising manager.

Having lead the Yellows to promotion from League Two, two Wembley appearances and two very strong FA Cup runs, his former side will be sad to see him go. They have their work cut out finding a suitable replacement.

Enter Frank Lampard, supposedly. Sky Sports News has been reporting that Oxford have spoken to Lampard about the job.

So, would this all make sense? Well, maybe.

From Lampard’s perspective, definitely. He would likely have to start his coaching career in the Championship or below. Oxford are a mid-table League One team with huge ambitions. The Kassam Stadium seats more than Bournemouth’s stadium, and they will be looking for promotion this season.

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They have a relatively strong squad for the standard of the league, although they have lost a worrying number of first team players for free. What may put Lampard off is the unstable nature of the club’s board and chairman. But despite this, they would back their manager 100%.

The fans can be a tricky bunch (trust me on that) but they are incredibly passionate. They would likely ignore Lampard’s playing career and judge him as a coach (which could be a good or bad thing). Oxford is a big enough market for him to gain exposure, and League One is a solid division to make his start.

For Oxford, a team with a proud history and a promising future, it makes a little less sense. Appleton had worked at Portsmouth, Blackpool and Blackburn before he joined the Yellows. The club would ideally like someone with a good amount of experience for them to put their trust in. Other managers linked with the job have included Steve McClaren and Chris Powell, who both have more impressive managerial resumes.

Of course, they would not want to hire Lampard solely for the commercial benefit, but it would certainly help.

Frank Lampard’s Oxford United sounds a whole lot better than Daniel McClue’s Oxford United – although I’d make a sensational manager. Players have an added incentive to join the club if they will be guided by one of England’s best-ever midfielders. Their incentives go up even more if they help him gain promotion and build a solid foundation at a squad.

Despite their impressive run in the FA Cup, Oxford found TV coverage hard to come by. Even when they played Middlesbrough they did not get a national broadcasr slot – although that may say more about Boro. ‘Frank Lampard’s Oxford United playing [insert team]’ sounds enticing enough to anyone.

These reports have certainly come out of the blue. Lampard is by no means the only person Oxford United have been linked with. It is an exciting prospect that certainly has benefits for both sides.

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The big questions are whether Oxford are willing to put their trust in an inexperienced manager, and whether Lampard feels he’s ready for the job.