Chelsea: Frank Lampard in Hall of Fame as he looks forward

When the Premier League announced they were creating a Hall of Fame, it was only a matter of time before Chelsea’s old guard filled it. Frank Lampard has been inducted as Chelsea’s first Hall of Famer, solidifying his place as a legend of the Premier League (as if his overflowing trophy cabinet didn’t already do that.

Chelsea’s recent history has been somewhat dominated by Lampard, either his presence or his specter. Recent interviews have only further entrenched that as Lampard is rewarded for the past as he looks towards the future.

As part of the interview for joining the Hall of Fame, Lampard noted that he arrived at Chelsea as a player when the club was in transition. “I think when Roman took over the club you could see what he wanted to build, and as a team we all had ambitions to win trophies. It’s so difficult to win back-to-back titles but Jose (Mourinho) instilled that belief in us and the squad had huge talent and a great mentality.” He also notes that he introduction of world class talent only pushed him harder. It made him raise his game to match and ultimately surpass that talent.

All of that is why, in part, it was always impossible to separate Lampard the player from Lampard the manager. They are the same. Those quotes could easily have been applicable to his time at Chelsea. The club has been in transition, largely since Antonio Conte’s sacking but the transfer ban and Maurizio Sarri quitting after a season required a different sort of transition.

Lampard, like one of his great influencers Claudio Ranieri, relied on younger players to lead a new generation. Also like Ranieri, he oversaw a period where massive talent suddenly entered into the club. Lampard challenged those younger players to match them, just as he once was. And like Ranieri, he ultimately didn’t work out, but some vital foundations were laid for their successor to take to another level.

We fast forward now to Lampard considering his options. Many remember his tenure only by its final month,  but that is disingenuous as to what he accomplished at Chelsea. With a team having lost their best player and under a transfer ban, he brought in several players that had played in the Championship only the previous year. He made those players key members of the first team as they achieved top four (when few expected more than top half), they got out of the Champions League group, and they made an FA Cup final they probably should have won. This season will likely be remembered for what Thomas Tuchel has done since his arrival, but Lampard’s run from the start of the year to December shouldn’t be forgotten for its excellence either. A bad month brought it all crashing down and perhaps Lampard didn’t have the tools to fix the crashing plane, but that doesn’t take away from the previous 17 months being largely successful.

All that will be in mind as he looks for his next job. Crystal Palace is the most strongly linked and it makes a lot of sense for Lampard’s newly larger family. The biggest drawback would be the sheer size of the rebuild required. Palace has over half of their first team out of contract this summer and this time, Lampard won’t have the ability to bring in five or so players from loan and trust them to go into the first team.

Regardless, Lampard has earned his place. In the Hall of Fame, as a Premier League manager, as a legend. This past year may not have gone as he wanted it to, but now he looks ever forward for ways to improve and prove himself like he’s always had to do.