Television presenter James Corden helped convince the Chelsea hierarchy to hire Frank Lampard as their caretaker manager, according to reports.
Corden is best known for co-writing and starring in hit BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey before moving to the United States to host The Late Late Show with James Corden.
And now The Sun claim that the TV personality ‘played a surprise role in the shock appointment’ of Lampard as caretaker boss at Stamford Bridge earlier this week.
Graham Potter was sacked by Chelsea, after the club won just 12 matches in 31 in all competitions during his tenure, with the former Brighton boss leaving them in the bottom half.
Chelsea coach Bruno Saltor took the team in their 0-0 draw against Liverpool in midweek before Lampard took charge of his first match yesterday as the Blues lost 1-0 at Wolves.
The Sun add that Corden ‘gave pal and Blues owner Todd Boehly his opinion’ on hiring Lampard after becoming good friends with the American financier.
The report adds: ‘When Boehly looked for a caretaker after Graham Potter was axed last Sunday, West Ham fan Corden’s idea got the nod.
‘Corden and Lampard are pals from Sky show A League of Their Own where the ex-England midfielder’s cousin Jamie Redknapp is a team captain.’
Despite a terrible first full season as Chelsea owners, the Daily Mail claims that Boehly and Behdad Eghbali believe ‘their project in west London is on course’.
‘Someone close to the executives’ told the Daily Mail: “It’s a f**king mess, of course it is. No one is pretending this was the plan.”
By hiring Potter their plan was to hire a manager ‘on the way up’ but the report claims: ‘Now they acknowledge it may be better to take a coach who has been there and done that, even if it means the shortlist might not look any different to Tottenham’s.’
On their reasons for hiring Lampard as a stop-gap, the Daily Mail adds:
‘Lampard is admired and not just because of his revered status at the club. It is felt he was harshly sacked before, though it would take a Roberto Di Matteo-like charge to a Champions League win to get him the chance to oversee next season.
‘Up against Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid buoyed by their 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final win against Barcelona, that seems unlikely.
‘There may also be fringe benefits with Lampard. Chelsea want Mason Mount, their academy poster boy, to stay but can’t agree terms and he has to be sold with one year left on his deal. If anyone can convince Mount it is surely Lampard, who immediately promoted him to the first team when he took over at Chelsea in 2019.’
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