Chelsea ‘line up Andriy Shevchenko to replace Lampard as manager if results don’t improve after £253m transfer splurge’

CHELSEA are considering Andriy Shevchenko as their next manager, according to reports. Pressure has ramped up on current boss Frank Lampard, after Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester City made it just one win in seven for the Blues. SunSport understands that, despite the poor run, Lampard’s position isn’t under immediate threat. But should the slump […]

CHELSEA are considering Andriy Shevchenko as their next manager, according to reports.

Pressure has ramped up on current boss Frank Lampard, after Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester City made it just one win in seven for the Blues.

Reuters

Shevchenko, 44, is currently managing Ukraine[/caption]

AP:Associated Press

The Chelsea boss is coming under increasing scrutiny[/caption]

SunSport understands that, despite the poor run, Lampard’s position isn’t under immediate threat.

But should the slump continue, their position may change.

And if so, Le10Sport claim that Chelsea could swap one inexperienced former player for another in Shevchenko.

Sheva is currently boss of the Ukraine national team, a position he has held since 2016, having never managed anywhere else.

He has won 21 of his 40 games in charge, and most recently guided his side to Euro 2020 by topping a group that also contained European champions Portugal.

Despite struggling as a player at Chelsea, Shevchenko remains well thought of by owner Roman Abramovich and is claimed to be on their radar as a manager.

After his £30million move from AC Milan in 2006, the Ukrainian toiled, managing only 22 goals in 77 outings for the Blues.

Reuters

Shevchenko played with the current Chelsea boss at Stamford Bridge[/caption]

Despite having left Chelsea 11 years ago, Shevchenko still has connections in West London.

His son Kristian, 14, was born in England’s capital, and plays for Chelsea’s academy.

Lampard, meanwhile remained level-headed after Sunday’s defeat by Man City despite Chelsea’s poor run.

He said: “I’m not going to speak for people above me — or the board — because I can never do that.

“That’s why I couldn’t answer a month ago about me getting a new contract and why I can’t answer what they’re thinking about now.

“I will always feel the heat. I felt the heat when we were on our good run because I know that around the corner can be the negative.

It is my job to focus on working on the players, not what the people above are thinking — that would just distract me and I can’t do it

Frank Lampard

“And we are not a team that has been churning out results and has got to the level of Liverpool or Manchester City.

“It is my job to focus on working on the players, not what the people above are thinking — that would just distract me and I can’t do it.

“We went 16 games unbeaten and a month ago everyone was asking me about where we can go, where am I going to go, where’s the new contract?

Now people will be saying the opposite — I can’t control that. The pressure remains constant in this job and you know in tough moments that will be there.”

Chelsea currently sit eighth in the Premier League, having slipped out of the title race in recent weeks.

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