Celtic still have an “interest” in Frank Lampard.
According to Ian McGarry of the Transfer Window podcast, an Eddie Howe deal isn’t done and dusted. That leaves Frank Lampard with a shot, while the two are also apparently competing for the Crystal Palace job, something we refuted earlier today.
Still, some pundits are claiming there’s a chance that it’ll be the other English candidate who ends up in the Celtic Park dugout. McGarry told the Football Window Podcast [42.00]:
“I don’t believe that Lampard is necessarily rushing to get into another manager’s job.
“He is enjoying his time with his young family. That’s not to say that he’s not open to an interesting offer. There is certainly interest from Celtic, but I don’t think that he is in a position where he will necessarily go into a project that he doesn’t think he has a good chance of progress or succeeding in.”
Just when we thought the Celtic/Frank Lampard rumours were over
It’s odd, isn’t it? Even for a Celtic managerial hire, this saga makes War and Peace look life a leaflet. And the thing is, we don’t actually know how many twists and turns this truly has taken, mostly gossip and hearsay.
One thing’s for sure: it’s incredibly unlikely Frank Lampard would want to go to Celtic. The Chelsea legend’s name may be box-office, especially considering a potential rivalry with Gerrard, but in terms of Celtic it doesn’t seem like a particularly good fit.
What the Bhoys need is a long-term manager, but Lampard’s record so far suggests he doesn’t stay long in jobs. He’d also have a fraction of the budget he’d have got at Chelsea, another factor which might put him off.
He does have some fans, though. In an exclusive chat with 67 Hail Hail, Chelsea legend Pat Nevin told us:
“If he wants, he’ll have [a long career]. He had a young team and no money last year, and he got [Chelsea] into the top four. He got his team back into the FA Cup Final, which is pretty damn good as well. Even this season, their Champions League run has been good.”
“6 weeks ago he was top of the league. Albeit for the last four or five weeks, all of those games I’ve been at, and they had more possession of the ball, although they looked a bit toothless. I think people will look at him and think ‘actually, he’s actually got some clout, he’s got some abilities’.”
READ MORE: Former Scotland manager weighs in on Jack Hendry
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