Frank Lampard claims the next Chelsea manager must turn the team around, and that is his job.
As he prepares to step down from his interim position following Sunday's game against Newcastle, Frank Lampard stated turning around Chelsea's fortunes will be the difficulty for the next manager.
The team's miserable season hit a new low on Thursday when they were humiliated 4-1 by Manchester United at Old Trafford. This was Lampard's ninth loss in 11 games as manager.
They could end as low as 14th and tie their lowest finish from the Premier League era if results go against them on the last day.
With the fewest goals the club has ever scored in a Premier League season, they are already assured to finish with their lowest point total in the tournament.
In the coming days, Mauricio Pochettino is anticipated to be named as the club's new permanent manager. His to-do list will likely include immediately trimming down the club's overstuffed first-team roster and restoring coherence to a group that has lost its way since Graham Potter was fired in April.
Since Potter was fired seven months into a five-year deal, Chelsea has only had one victory in nearly two months, and with each setback, the process of regaining the team's form appears to be growing more difficult.
Lampard was questioned about whether the upcoming manager of Chelsea will have the hardest job of any manager in the past 20 years because a remedy has proven to be beyond Lampard in his brief time in charge.
Lampard responded, "I don't know, but it's a wonderful headline. "I can't jump into the future, so that's still up in the air.
"I think it's a great position because it's the Chelsea job, and when I applied for it the first time (in 2019), I probably won because many other top managers didn't want it, I can say that with certainty.
I had a good time during the process and when I arrived, and I wished the new boss luck.
"I'm not sure... I assume it's his problem; was that the headline you were going for?
The size of the squad, which features 34 first-team players battling for selection as a result of co-owner Todd Boehly's frenzied transfer activity during his first 12 months in charge, has been one of Lampard's challenges.
For younger team members, even those signed for huge salaries and with high expectations, it has meant restricted playing time.
Carney Chukwuemeka, who cost £20 million to acquire from Aston Villa last summer, has had trouble earning playing time, while Noni Madueke, who cost £29 million from PSV Eindhoven, has only made 11 appearances.
Both players started the defeat at Old Trafford and played for 82 minutes before being replaced. Lampard expressed his satisfaction with the effort of the guys who entered the game but weren't regulars in the starting lineup.
I don't want to delve into specific people, he declared. "I believed Carney did a great job (against United) by bringing personality to the middle. The squad's size has made it one of my job's more difficult aspects.
"Going with a squad to win crucial games and working with the younger players we haven't seen previously because typically there is a procedure and a pre-season.
"That time hasn't come for us. Carney and Noni, in my opinion, performed admirably, and Azpi (Cesar Azpilicueta), on the other hand, impressed me with his leadership and demeanor.
How you play the game depends to a large extent on your effort and attitude.
