Frank Lampard’s hopes of clinging onto the Chelsea job are helped by the inability of senior figures to decide on who his replacement should be, say reports.
The Blues legend is under increasing pressure in the Stamford Bridge hot seat after a run of two wins in seven Premier League games that has left his side in eighth, 11 points behind leaders Manchester United.
More was expected of Lampard this season by the Chelsea hierarchy after they splashed out more than £220 million on new signings last summer.
However, Roman Abramovich is yet to pull the trigger on the former midfielder and ESPN reports that his hesitation is partly due to dithering over who would be next in line for the job.
Sources say that Abramovich’s advisors, and director Marina Granovskaia, are divided on the matter.
Former PSG boss Thomas Tuchel and ex-Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri are both without a club and have been linked with the position, while Southampton’s Ralph Hasenhuttl and RB Leipzig’s Julian Nagelsmann are also candidates.
But the Blues hierarchy can’t decide whether to bring in a short-term appointment until the end of the season, such as ex-boss Avram Grant or former striker Andriy Shevchenko, or wait until later in the campaign to see what options are available.
In the meantime, Lampard will lead Chelsea against Luton Town in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday before hosting Wolves in league action on Wednesday.
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