Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard joked that "it's his problem" when asked about the task facing Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.
Former Tottenham boss Pochettino is expected to take over as Chelsea boss on July 1, giving him a full pre-season ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. The Argentine will have a lot of work to do, though, as he inherits a squad coming off a dismal bottom-half finish.
Lampard took temporary charge in April after two permanent managers - Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter - were sacked by Thomas Tuchel. However, the former England and Chelsea midfielder has taken just four points from eight games, including a 4-1 defeat at Manchester United on Thursday.
After his team slumped to a heavy defeat at Old Trafford, Lampard was asked whether the Chelsea job was tougher than it has been over the last 20 years. The 44-year-old has himself been permanent manager during the period, taking charge between 2019 and 2021.
“It remains to be seen, but I can’t jump into the future," he told reporters ahead of Sunday's game against Newcastle. "I think it’s a fantastic job because it’s the Chelsea job.
“When I took it, the first time I came, I probably got the job because a lot of top manager’s didn’t want the job. I know that for a fact, it was a big part of it, but I enjoy the process and I enjoy coming in”
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Before giving his final judgement, Lampard had time for a tongue-in-cheek sign-off. “I wish the new manager well. It’s his problem, I guess," he said, before turning to the media and asking “Is that the headline you wanted?”
Chelsea look set for a busy summer under Pochettino, with a number of ins and outs expected. Lampard has one final game in charge, with the Blues in danger of slipping as low as 14th, and their interim boss pulled no punches after the latest defeat.
“Sometimes you can say that [the big squad] is maybe a factor – if you want to call it an excuse – but as a player you have to put that to the side and focus on your own game," he said after the Man Utd game. "Since I’ve been in I’ve understood quickly that some of the collective standards – and it’s for the individuals within that to realise who they are – this is not a blanket, we just have to find the reasons for why the club is where it’s at, and there are many.
“It’s not just finger-pointing at the players because it’s definitely not a lack of effort this evening, but you build up the credit through your training and your prep, and you build up a resilience."
