When Frank Lampard's time as Chelsea's temporary manager comes to an end on Sunday, he vowed to return as a supporter.
His team will take on Newcastle in an effort to give Lampard his first home victory of his second tenure as manager and let the club's all-time leading scorer finish on a somewhat positive note after losing eight of his previous ten games.
After being fired as manager in January 2021, the former midfielder, who spent 13 years playing in west London and won three Premier League championships and the Champions League, did not return to Stamford Bridge until April of this year to see the team's scoreless draw against Liverpool.
That occurred two days after former manager Graham Potter was fired after 31 games of a five-year deal. Within days, Lampard had been appointed interim manager as the team looked for a permanent replacement.
The 44-year-old argued that he had only been absent due to circumstances, including the Covid-19 outbreak and his 12-month stint as Everton manager, and that his trip to witness the Liverpool game from co-owner Todd Boehly's box had been planned for weeks.
It was eventually revealed that club executives had suggested Lampard as a potential interim candidate some weeks earlier, when Potter was in serious trouble following a string of defeats.
The final game of the season against Newcastle cannot come soon enough for the supporters who have endured the team's worst season in 30 years.
Nevertheless, as he prepared to leave the club for the third time, Lampard hoped to leave them with something positive to carry into the summer.
Lampard remarked, "I don't want to sound corny, but I don't feel like it is a goodbye."
It will be the end of the season and my time here, but typically when you leave a club, I enjoy it.
As a manager, you don't have a celebration. It's okay if you come in one day and leave the next.
The cheesy aspect is that I'll never feel as though I'm waving my fans off. My playing and coaching careers, both in the past and currently, are mentioned.
"I live close enough to the stadium and I'll be back at Chelsea a lot, but just because you start a managerial career doesn't mean you'll stay at the organization you played for 13 years forever."
"I'm not overly sentimental about it, but I do appreciate the fans' support on Sunday," he said. I would most definitely love to give them a performance they could remember throughout the summer and use as motivation.
Due to the absence of several first-team players against Newcastle, Lampard might once more rely on Chelsea's young talents.
Reece James, N'Golo Kante, and Benoit Badiashile have all already played their final game of the season, while Mason Mount's fitness for what might be his final appearance at Stamford Bridge has been questioned by Lampard.
Due to a hamstring injury sustained in the loss to Manchester City, Raheem Sterling is also questionable.
James' departure has been particularly painful for Lampard during his limited stay because the England defender has been the team's best player as they have battled.
After hurting his thigh during the team's Champions League loss to Real Madrid at home, he was declared out for the remainder of the season.
Reece left (to train on Wednesday) and returned, but because he had a slight awareness, Lampard added, "we hope the scan will show there is no real damage." It was merely a kind reminder that it was still a little early to go outside.
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