What next for Frank Lampard after rejecting Norwich?
What next for Frank Lampard after rejecting Norwich?
Frank Lampard’s once extremely promising management career came to a dramatic halt midway through last season when he was sacked by Chelsea.
There have been rumours along the way of where he may go next, England U21s, Crystal Palace and most recently Norwich. However, none of those have materialised and Lampard is now approaching one year since his sacking from Chelsea.
He was very much the front runner for the Norwich job, before supposedly declining that, which allowed former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith to take the reins shortly after being sacked from Villa Park.
Lampard’s supposed rejection of the job at Carrow Road has left him at a real crossroads in his managerial career, and the question really remains, what next for Frank Lampard?
Play the waiting game
Currently, there are no clear jobs available, with recent openings at Aston Villa, Newcastle and of course Norwich filled, while it is highly unlikely that Manchester United would even consider it.
Thus, Lampard is in a position of waiting for the right job and who knows when that will come - it is not unfeasible he’ll be off until the summer.
One thing that is important for the Chelsea legend, is to make sure that he does not rush into anything he is not certain about as another quick managerial failure would all but finish his career in management at the very top.
Become a coach
Lampard, like so many recently retired professional football players, seemingly rushed into a managerial role when taking over Derby County.
While he did achieve success in his first two seasons in management - he reached the Championship play-off final with Derby and an FA Cup final with Chelsea – it appeared when the going got tough in his second season, he did not have the experience or know how to change it.
One way for Lampard to potentially gain that experience while not being fully in the spotlight would be in a coaching role, most likely similar to that of John Terry at Aston Villa, in an assistant manager role focused on his area of expertise.
It may be considered to be a downgrade but it could be a clever way of getting back into football.
Stay away from management altogether
Of course, before management, Lampard went down the punditry route originally, something that he was very good at.
With his experience on the pitch and in the dugout, you feel he is someone that could give excellent insight, and he is someone that, if he wanted it, would be very highly sought after.
We have seen with the likes of Roy Keane that it does not necessarily mean an end to management or coaching altogether, it is possible to do some punditry and then return to management when the right offer comes. But it is another way that Lampard may be able to continue in football, without rushing into a potentially unsuitable managerial role.
For Lampard, this is a crucial time in his second career, and must be considered carefully. The brave option would be to take another role as soon as it is available, but perhaps a better option would be to avoid management for the time being and wait for the perfect role.
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