Joe Cole: Let’s not forget Frank Lampard role in Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea FC success story

James Robson
·4 min read
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Joe Cole staunchly defends Roman Abramovich’s ruthless rule, even though his good friend Frank Lampard was the latest victim of the Chelsea owner’s relentless pursuit of success.

Cole had hoped ex-team-mate Lampard would be given time to build a legacy. But as Chelsea embark on two weeks that could see them complete an FA Cup and Champions League double, he insists Abramovich’s methods cannot be questioned.

Thomas Tuchel, who was parachuted in to save Chelsea’s season when Lampard’s reign went into free-fall at the turn of the year, can lift his first trophy since taking charge in tomorrow’s Cup Final against Leicester after less than four months in the job.

And he can make it an unforgettable season if he adds the Champions League on May 29. Cole said: “Chelsea have been the most successful team in terms of winning trophies in the last 20 years since Roman came in. And they do things a certain way.

“It is a high pressurised situation. You sort of come to the club, you join the ride, you get involved and you strap in because managers come and managers go. But one thing that has been proven is that they continue to win.”

Still, Cole, says Lampard’s role cannot be discounted. Should Chelsea beat Leicester at Wembley, they will end a journey that started with their former manager. His last game in charge before his sacking was the 3-1 win against Luton in the fourth round.

“Thomas Tuchel deserves all the credit he has got,” said Cole. “He’s been fantastic. He’s brought harmony back into the squad. But Tuchel alluded to it when he got the job, he knows there was real talent, real quality players and Frank and Jody [Morris] and the academy staff, bringing those players through, getting into the Champions League [last season] without bringing a signing in was a brilliant achievement.

“When you come in as a manager it’s always your team, and the previous manager’s team until you get your stamp on it. All the credit to Tuchel, but we can’t disregard what Frank and Jody and the academy staff did to help and Tuchel recognises that.”

Getty Images
Getty Images

One of those players nurtured by Lampard is Mason Mount, who has become a pivotal player for club and country this season. The midfielder is aiming to win his first major trophy after suffering defeat to Arsenal in last year’s final.

Cole is convinced this will be the start of many trophies for Mount, declaring him a Chelsea icon in the making.

He said: “I said it 12 months ago that Mason will go on to be a Chelsea great. I can’t believe why some people weren’t really having him. Which is insanity.

“Football has these mad things. But even the people who were most against Mason will step back now and say ‘maybe I got that one wrong.’

“He will be a Chelsea great. It is unfair on Mason to say he is Frank’s legacy because Mason is a genius and he would have come through anytime, anywhere because he is just a great footballer.

Getty Images
Getty Images

“But Frank had a big impact on him and what better way to start your career as a midfielder than having the greatest midfielder the club has ever had there at your whim to ask questions? Mason is a great learner which is why he is where he is.”

Would Mount have held his own in the Chelsea side that Cole played in alongside stars such as Lampard, Claude Makelele and Arjen Robben? “It is difficult to answer this because I don’t want to disrespect the current crop or my team-mates,” said Cole. “I’m a great believer in things improving in life. There is a reason records get better all the time so I’m not one of these old players who says, ‘We were better in our day.’

“We were what we were in our day and now these guys are doing it their way. Mason could have played for any team in any era, but he would have to replace a very good player [from my team].”

Should Tuchel secure a double and a top-four finish, the pressure will be on Chelsea to hand him a new contract this summer after he signed an initial 18-month deal.

That is expected to come at the end of the season and Cole said: “I’m sure everyone will be delighted with the work he’s done and I’m sure he’s happy with his squad.

“He will be staying at Chelsea, I’m pretty sure of that. He will have Roman to answer to otherwise.”

Ahead of the FA Cup Final, Budweiser is giving away all of its advertising and sponsorship space to pubs from West London and Leicester as it calls on fans: Support your club; #SupportYourPubs

Read More

Premier League top four race as it stands: What Liverpool FC win means for Chelsea and West Ham

Champions League final moved to Porto with 6,000 fans per club for Chelsea FC vs Man City clash

Chelsea FC stars face FA Cup final axe with Thomas Tuchel furious over Arsenal defeat

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Lululemon to shutter Washington distribution center, lay off 128 employees

    The Vancouver-based firm will shutter the Sumner distribution center as part of its business optimization effort and cut 128 jobs beginning June 21, according to a WARN notice filed with the state's Employment Security Department. The move comes at a time when Lululemon is seeing slowing demand for its premium athleisure in North America, where excessive inventory levels at sporting retailers has resulted in lower orders for sportswear and apparel firms. The lease for the company's 150,000-square-foot Sumner distribution center will end on July 2025, a regulatory filing showed.

  • Corrections and clarifications

    Ryan Giggs | Ned Benson/Cate Shortland | Iditarod dog sled race

  • Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Rundown: 8 key updates

    There has been some noteworthy movements in the fantasy baseball reliever landscape. Dalton Del Don breaks down the most important.

  • Met Police apologise for earlier apology about ‘openly Jewish’ comment

    Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was wearing a kippah skull cap when he was stopped from crossing the road.

  • The best Amazon deals to shop this weekend: Save up to 90% on home appliances, gardening essentials and more

    A few of our faves? A Shark stick vac for just $100 and a vertical garden on sale for $34, plus sweet gift ideas for Mom.

  • People are forking out record $2,800 a month on average just to cover their mortgage payments

    The median monthly mortgage payment jumped 11% in the past year due to surging interest rates and soaring home prices.

  • Even tech stocks like Nvidia need to take a break: Analyst

    The broader market has been in flux with the tech-heavy S&P 500 (^GSPC) down for the last trading week. Recent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East haven't been the sole detractor from 2024's market momentum. One of the leaders in the S&P is chip-making powerhouse Nvidia (NVDA) which is down 15% over the past month. Is the rally for Big Tech players over or just on a pause? F/m Investments President and Chief Investment Officer Alex Morris joins Market Domination to discuss the chip sector and Nvidia's recent dip in share price. Morris weighs in on the current market landscape and how Nvidia has performed recently: "It's surprising to see it today. There's no great catalyst for it. Nvidia didn't come out and say 'we're out of the game, AI is over.' But we have to remember Nvidia, Microsoft (MSFT), Big Tech names, they're momentum names and momentum names occasionally need to take a breather... The geopolitical events aren't the catalyst but they are a good opportunity for folks to reevaluate where their money is and sometimes you take your profits." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination. This post was written by Nicholas Jacobino

  • Nvidia Stock Plummets In Broad Market Sell-Off

    Nvidia stock plunged Friday falling sharply below its 50-day average as the broader market retreated in a major sell-off.

  • Olympic torch makes Acropolis overnight stop a week before handover to Paris organizers

    ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The flame that will burn at the Olympics is spending the night at the ancient Acropolis in Athens, a week before its handover to Paris 2024 organizers. During a lull in heavy rain late Friday, a torchbearer lit a cauldron in front of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple, on the citadel that dominates the Athens skyline and is Greece’s top tourist draw. The flame will stay there until Saturday morning, when the champagne-colored torch travels to Delphi, an important ancient G

  • Stock market today: Tech stocks smoked, Nvidia tumbles 9% to cap worst week of the year

    A measure of calm was returning after Israel's retaliatory strike on Iran spooked the market and spurred a rush to safe havens such as gold.

  • As inflation cools, Macklem says different countries will cut rates at own pace

    OTTAWA — Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem says central banks will make monetary policy decisions geared toward their own economies, which means some countries may begin cutting interest rates before others. Macklem made the comments while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington, D.C. Friday. "We've all been resolute in our commitment to restore price stability, and we've matched those words with action that has helped us all bring inflatio

  • Debt, fiscal challenges facing low-income countries worry IMF

    Shareholders of the International Monetary Fund agreed this week on the importance of addressing challenges faced by low-income countries, many of which are facing unsustainable debt burdens, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday. Multiple reports from the IMF and the World Bank this week sounded the alarm about economic developments and prospects in low-income developing countries, which are still grappling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and other shocks. The IMF lowered its 2024 growth forecast for low-income countries as a group to 4.7% from an estimate of 4.9% in January.

  • Liberal and NDP MPs lament departure of longtime Tory MP as status of women chair

    OTTAWA — Liberal and NDP MPs are lamenting the loss of the longtime Conservative chair of the parliamentary committee on the status of women. Government members say they were disappointed to learn this week that Karen Vecchio would no longer be at the helm, after having first served as chair in 2017. The House of Commons' website shows Vecchio's role as committee chair ended this week, and on Thursday the Conservatives on the committee voted in fellow Tory MP Shelby Kramp-Neuman as her replaceme

  • Rebel Moon Part 2 review: A slow-mo sci-fi slog

    Rebel Moon: Part 2 - The Scargiver is an empty feast, a relentless onslaught of explosions, sci-fi tropes and meaningless exposition that amounts to nothing.

  • Friday’s White House briefing was unexpected in multiple ways

    From Israel and Iran to the man who set himself on fire outside the Trump trial, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had little to say

  • Trump's hush money trial, as seen through courtroom sketches

    Since it’s not being televised — and news photographers are only permitted in for 45 seconds at the start of each day — the only other images from inside the courtroom are portraits being done by sketch artists.

  • John Tortorella says he failed to get Flyers to 'close the deal' in wake of late-season collapse

    VOORHEES, N.J. (AP) — Put those playoff plans on hold, Flyers fans. And not just this season. Philadelphia is stuck on the outside of the postseason for the fourth straight year after its fate was decided in Game 82. The Flyers’ acceleration from expected painful rebuild to the cusp of the playoffs was faster than expected — especially among those whose opinions matter most, coach John Tortorella and general manager Danny Briere — which made the late-season freefall all the more puzzling and gut

  • Martha Stewart uses this fan-favorite Mario Badescu collagen mask to firm and tighten skin — and it's down to $14

    Reviewers love the mask, too: 'My skin is soft, even dewy ... it's really unbelievable!'

  • Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial identified as ‘researcher’ who posted conspiracy-laden manifesto moments earlier

    The NYPD identified the man as Maxwell Azzarello, 37, who is now in critical condition in Cornell burns unit. He has a long history of posting conspiracy theories and railing against the rich and powerful

  • Max Azzarello posted anti-establishment conspiracies online. He set himself on fire outside Trump’s trial moments later

    The man was later identified by the New York Police Department as 37-year-old Max Azzarello from St Augustine Florida