Frank Lampard reveals 'loss of communication' contributed to Chelsea sacking

Frank Lampard has admitted that a breakdown in communication with higher-ups helped contribute to his sacking as Chelsea manager in 2021.

The Blues' record scorer was appointed as their boss in 2019 with just one year of his management under his belt.

The west Londoners were also hamstrung by a transfer ban and the departure of club legend Eden Hazard, but Lampard managed to rally a young team to a top-four finish and the FA Cup final in his first season.

However, after a free-spending summer window in 2020, expectations were raised and despite a bright start to the following campaign, Chelsea's form fell off a cliff and Lampard was given his marching orders in January 2021.

Speaking on the High Performance Podcast, Lampard admitted he fell out of touch with his superiors and this was a contributing factor to his dismissal.

"At the end of my time at Chelsea, I lost communication with important people above me that I should have tried to keep more," he said.

"That was one of my reflections on it, because then that void becomes an issue. It certainly wasn't just my fault, because I think that should be a two-way responsibility because you need to feel support. 

"Like you're saying, how do you get that long-term vision? Well, you'd better be supported back when it is a bit tough because that's the reality of football."

Lampard added that while every manager goes through rough spells, it was harder to argue his own case when he had only a season in charge of Derby County as his only prior experience.

"Let's not forget those early stages of Liverpool there were some tough moments. Jurgen Klopp's first year, or Pep Guardiola's...nothing's perfect. They work through these [moments], and they have trust," the current Everton boss continued.

"Sometimes the trust comes from their previous work. I suppose at Chelsea I didn't have a body of work to go: 'I've done this', so I suppose that didn't work for me in that sense.

"One of the biggest regrets I have is the last period at Chelsea where we were second in the league and came into a short run of defeats which saw me lose my job in the space of a month. From second in the table to ninth, and, I think, four defeats in the league and you're gone.

"But in that period I was striving to solve 100 problems, and as I came away I went: 'Don't get in that position again, Frank'. You've got to trust in yourself in those moments."

Lampard was then asked if he was even happy in the job down the latter stretch of his tenure at Stamford Bridge, replying: "No, I wasn't enjoying it in the last few weeks. And that happened really quickly. I really enjoyed my time working as a whole with reflection."