Frank Lampard is back at Chelsea.
The club's record goalscorer and former boss has taken on an interim position in the dugout until the end of the season, when Chelsea will bring in their long-term choice.
Of course, should Lampard do well enough, he could put his own name into consideration, but either way he still has plenty to do over the next two months.
Graham Potter was hired to give the team an identity, but Lampard will have no such responsibility given his short-term deal and the fact that someone like Julian Nagelsmann or Luis Enrique would bring their own ideas should they ultimately be hired ahead of next season.
Lampard was sacked by Chelsea in January 2021, before suffering the same demise at Everton two years later, but his continued legendary status at Stamford Bridge has secured him another lucrative opportunity to lead them.
Stats Perform has taken a look at five areas where the former West Ham and Manchester City midfielder will need to thrive to improve the club, as well as his own chances of finding a long-term gig beyond this one.
Find a way to score goals again
To say that Chelsea have been goal-shy this season is somewhat of an understatement.
Following their 0-0 draw with Liverpool on Tuesday, the Blues have scored 29 goals in 29 Premier League games this season, only ever netting fewer at this stage of a league campaign twice before (23 in 1921-22 and 16 in 1923-24).
During his 57 Premier League games in charge of Chelsea between August 2019 and January 2021, Lampard's team scored 102 goals.
They also had a shot conversion rate of 11.5 per cent, compared to their remarkably profligate 7.9 per cent this season.
Potter's issue was that he generally played without a striker and his midfielder's didn't score enough. If there is anyone who can teach midfielders to score goals, you would think it's Lampard, who hit 211 of his own during his playing days at Chelsea.
Get the old Mount back
It appears to be a widely held belief that Mason Mount enjoyed the best spell of his Chelsea career under Lampard.
He actually produced more under Thomas Tuchel, with 38 goal involvements (19 goals, 19 assists) in 86 games, compared to his 21 (11 goals, 10 assists) in 80 games under Lampard.
Mount was given his initial opportunity by Lampard though, and certainly developed and learned impressively in the first season and a half of his time in the Chelsea first-team.
The England international has struggled this season though, with just three goals and three assists from 32 games, and he has even been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool or Manchester United with his contract situation still up in the air.
If he can get his groove back at Stamford Bridge under Lampard though, maybe it can lead to a renaissance for Mount at the club.
Qualify for Europe
With nine games remaining in the Premier League, Chelsea sit in 11th place, five points behind seventh place Aston Villa, and 14 off the top four, meaning they are closer to the relegation zone (12 points) than Champions League qualification.
The table has been a strange place this season, so it is not beyond the realms of possibility that a few wins can catapult a team up several places.
While a top four finish is almost certainly beyond them, Chelsea could still at least keep themselves in European competition with a few victories.
Europa League successes in 2013 and 2019 laid foundations for bigger achievements, and in a season that has seen so few positives on the pitch, it would be a notable tick in the box should Lampard secure a place in Europe.
Overcome a familiar face
While they probably won't be in the competition next season, Chelsea remain in this season's Champions League, though with a daunting quarter-final against defending champions Real Madrid on the horizon.
The first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu will be Lampard's second game in charge, and Chelsea gave Los Blancos quite a scare when they went 3-0 up there in last season's final eight second leg.
Madrid ultimately won on aggregate after extra-time, but really struggled to deal with the Blues' approach, albeit with the tactical acumen of Tuchel directing them.
Lampard played under Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, and so could perhaps have one or two insights into how to get the better of him.
He might not be feeling too confident after seeing what Madrid recently did to Liverpool and Barcelona, though.
Set the table for successor
It might not be what Lampard envisioned his role at Chelsea ultimately being when he was initially hired in 2019, but the opportunity to help the club in the interim also means preparing the team for the next boss, whoever that may be.
As mentioned, he could even fancy himself to convince Todd Boehly to give him a longer chance, but either way, he will be tasked with making sure the team goes into next season with more optimism than they have now.
With so many new arrivals in the last two transfer windows, giving Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke more chances to shine will be key, while Joao Felix could learn plenty from him should he eventually make his loan move from Atletico Madrid permanent.
At the very least, it is likely having Lampard back at the helm will appease the fans, and having a better atmosphere will hopefully be a springboard for anyone to hit the ground running next season, when significant improvement will be an absolute must.
Ferguson still better than Guardiola, says James
Former Manchester City goalkeeper David James hails Pep Guardiola for "doing remarkable things" but believes he is still not at Alex Ferguson’s level.
City became the first team in Premier League history to win four consecutive titles with their 3-1 win over West Ham on Sunday, pipping Arsenal to the crown by two points.
Manchester United had previously won three consecutive Premier League seasons, achieving the feat twice under Ferguson (1998-2001 and 2006-2009).
Guardiola’s side can create more history on Saturday as they aim to clinch unprecedented back-to-back league and FA Cup doubles against the Red Devils.
Asked if this achievement put Guardiola’s name alongside Ferguson’s as the best Premier League manager, James, who spent two years with City, disagreed.
"No, Fergie's still the best. Look at statistics and longevity," James told Stats Perform. "And even more so, since Fergie left, what's happened to Manchester United.
"You can't even blame or use the excuse he had a good team and did well with it, Fergie rode the waves, he was up and down and even these downs weren't particularly bad.
"I think third or fourth was probably the worst they ever did; Fergie was the best and Pep will have to hang around for another decade, I think, before he can actually challenge that position.
"But what we're seeing at the moment, you've got a different style of football, a different type of game in so many different ways. The way the league is constructed at the moment with other competitions around it, Pep is having to do different things to what Fergie may have had to do.
"I know Fergie was a great manager, but not necessarily the greatest coach. Pep is a great manager and a great coach. He's also got an extra string to his bow in that sense.
"To be the winner of that league four years in a row, you need to be a superb manager. And I think Pep, in this short time frame, is doing some remarkable things, but he's going to have to hang around for a lot longer to take Ferguson's crown."
Following their victory over West Ham, Guardiola stated that he was "closer to leaving than staying", raising speculation that next season could be his last.
"I think the big question for Pep, and it is logical that he will now become the focus given that Jurgen Klopp announced his departure a few months ago, and all of a sudden it was nothing, but Jurgen and he will be the next focus," James added.
"I think the thing for Pep is, what does he want to do as a person? And it's not that he's completed the treble and that's enough because I think that he would want to do a treble treble, you want to do a quadruple.
"I can see that competitive side in him, he doesn't seem to change on the sidelines. Even yesterday, when they conceded the goal, and it was a fantastic goal from Kudus, he wasn't happy.
"I think you can still see that he's still animated, still engaged with the game. There's no question that he's feeling tired in that sense.
"I would like him to stay. I would like him to stay because I think when you've got someone so good, you need someone to beat them legitimately rather than them just step away and allow everyone else to play.
"I think he should stay. And I'm sure City will do everything they can to keep him in charge for the foreseeable future."
'Maybe we can change that' - De Roon believes Atalanta can end Leverkusen unbeaten run
Atalanta captain Marten de Roon believes they have what it takes to end Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten season in the Europa League final.
De Roon will not be available for La Dea in Dublin on Wednesday due to injury but has joined up with the squad to offer his support.
Atalanta have had a memorable campaign, reaching their first European final and qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, claimed their first-ever Bundesliga title without losing a single game and are aiming to complete a treble.
Despite coming up against a tough opponent, De Roon is confident that his side will be able to end their 61-year drought without a major trophy.
"Every team is beatable. At the moment, [Leverkusen] seem unbeatable, but maybe we are the ones who can change that," he said in the pre-match press conference.
"We have to believe in our philosophy, play attacking football and try to beat them. You don't win a trophy if you don't beat the best.
"We have had a great campaign, and we fully deserve to be here. Both sides deserve to be playing this final. Let's see who will manage to lift the trophy.
Atalanta narrowly missed out in the Coppa Italia final to Juventus earlier this month, and Gian Piero Gasperini is now preparing to manage his first-ever European final.
The Italian praised Leverkusen but stressed the belief he has in his own team after an impressive campaign.
He said: "We are aware that we are facing a great team. We know that they are undefeated, and we know that they have had an amazing season.
"Our journey, however, was also very good as we beat very strong teams to reach the final, and we also have belief.
"Leverkusen are a complete team; extremely organised. They are versatile, they can defend and recover the ball well.
"The results they have achieved this season are not an accident. Certainly, small details can make the difference in a final. We have to respect them and try to adapt quickly to the opponents we are facing."
Alonso: Self-confidence is driving Leverkusen forward
Xabi Alonso says Bayer Leverkusen are driven by self-confidence in their ability to win games ahead of the Europa League final.
Leverkusen are chasing the second trophy in a potential treble against Atalanta in Dublin on Wednesday, with the DFB-Pokal final against Kaiserslautern to follow on Saturday.
The Bundesliga champions became the first German team to go unbeaten on their way to the title and are currently on a 51-match run without defeat in all competitions.
Alonso is taking charge of his first European final as a manager, but he believes his team will draw on the experience they have already gained this season.
"Our self-confidence keeps driving us on. We know that we can produce goals until the final minute," he said in his pre-match press conference. "That's a huge development that the team has made this season.
"From the start of the campaign, we believed in our brand of football and that's right at the heart of this successful run.
"We'll prepare like we did for all the games before. We haven't lost in 51 games, so my boys know how to adapt to different situations. That also applies to the final.
"What matters above all tomorrow is mentality. We have a game plan, but the players still have that wonderful atmosphere from the title celebrations on Saturday, and we want to tap into that."
Alonso is the youngest coach to manage a men’s European final since Roberto Di Matteo oversaw Chelsea’s Champions League victory in 2012.
He will also become just the fourth person to play in and manage a major European final this century after also playing in the 2005 and 2007 Champions League finals with Liverpool.
Reflecting on his time at Leverkusen, Alonso said: "I was so young in this coach career, so when I was offered the Leverkusen job, so it was 'let's go, let's see what happens'.
"In one year and a half, so much has happened; it has been a great experience, and it has only been a year and a half, but we have made so many right decisions.
"I think we have great chemistry. The mentality we have shown throughout the year has been fantastic. I am really enjoying it."
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