Former Chelsea, Everton and Derby County manager Frank Lampard is in the running for the vacant position at Scottish giants Rangers, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
The Glasgow-based team are on the hunt for a new manager following the sacking of Michael Beale on Monday, with Championship managers John Eustace and Ryan Lowe also allegedly in the shortlist. The Birmingham City boss was reportedly being monitored before the international break last month following Rangers’ poor start to the new season, which saw them lose two of their opening four games.
Beale survived, albeit temporarily, and Saturday’s 3-1 defeat against Aberdeen proved to be the final straw in a result which left the club seven points behind early pacesetters and bitter rivals Celtic.
The 2022 Europa League finalists keen to make a swift appointment, and Alan Nixon claims that former England international Frank Lampard is now ‘strongly in the frame’ for the job at Ibrox, with the 45-year-old looking to rebuild his managerial career following dreadful spells at Everton and Chelsea.
Lampard’s introduction into management came at then-Championship side Derby County in 2018 and his time at Pride Park was widely considered a success. Despite just the one season in charge, he took the Rams to the brink of the Premier League by guiding them to the play-offs, only to narrowly lose in the final at Wembley Stadium against Aston Villa.
A move to former club Chelsea followed, although he was sacked in early 2021 after a poor run of form. After a year out of the game, Everton came knocking, but Lampard’s time at Goodison Park was a disaster and he was once again given the axe in January this year, leaving the club on the brink of relegation.
He was surprisingly given the Chelsea job once again on a caretaker basis in April, but left Stamford Bridge for the second time with a record of one win in 11 games.
Writer’s View
Rangers are keen to emulate their recent success with Steven Gerrard, with the Liverpool legend guiding them to the Scottish Premiership title in 2021 before taking on his first Premier League role with Aston Villa. Lampard and Gerrard are often talked about in the same breath thanks to their joint England careers, as well as their recent step into management.
His reputation is tarnished by his recent stints in the Premier League and, like Gerrard, he will need to move to another country in order to rebuild his reputation. However, Rangers is a very tough job and nothing less than dethroning Celtic will be deemed acceptable. It could be a tough ask for the former midfielder.
