Next Chelsea manager: Three possible replacements for Frank Lampard

It's fair to say that things have taken a turn for the worse at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge. It wasn't long ago that people like Jürgen Klopp were branding Chelsea as the title favourites but a blue December, which seems to have run into January, following Chelsea's recent defeat to Manchester City, has seen the Blues' season spiral out of control.

Chelsea have won just once in their last six league outings, dropping down to eighth in the table, and as a result, Blues boss Frank Lampard is the favourite in the next Premier League manager to be sacked online betting odds.

Given Chelsea's poor run of form, alarm bells have started to ring, and following the 3-1 defeat to a covid-stricken Man City side, Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane reiterated that time isn't on Lampard's side. ‘Chelsea don't give managers time. It's in their DNA and history not to give them time,' said the former Republic of Ireland international.

So, with Lampard's job seemingly on the line, let's take a look at five possible candidates who could be anxiously awaiting a call from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in the coming days or weeks.

Massimiliano Allegri

Massimiliano Allegri has enjoyed success in Italy's Serie A, winning the title and the Supercoppa Italiana with AC Milan, before a trophy-laden five years at Juventus, which included five successive Serie A titles. However, despite his domestic success, Allegri was unsuccessful in the club's ambition to win the Champions League, and the Old Lady revealed that the Italian would be leaving the club at the end of the 2018-19 season. Despite being heavily linked with several clubs, including Arsenal, the 53-year-old has been unemployed since. However, Chelsea could be about to swoop in and take him off the market.

Thomas Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel started his managerial career in his homeland of Germany, with the likes of Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund, before being snapped up by Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain in 2018. Like Allegri, Tuchel enjoyed domestic success with PSG, winning back-to-back league titles along with several cups, but with a failed attempt to win last season's Champions League and PSG falling behind Lyon and Lille in the league this season, he was shown the door last month and has been linked with Chelsea ever since. Who knows, maybe the German can get the best out of the struggling Timo Werner and Kai Havertz!

Laurent Blanc

Bringing in a manager who is already in a job halfway through the season is never going to be easy, but Chelsea could attempt to lure former Manchester United defender Laurent Blanc to Stamford Bridge. Blanc has managed Bordeaux, France and PSG. Like Tuchel, despite domestic success in Paris, which included three successive titles, Blanc was replaced by Unai Emery at Le Parc des Princes. Since his 2016 exit, Blanc was unemployed for four years before recently taking over at Qatari side Al-Rayyan, making the Chelsea chiefs' job of bringing him to the Bridge even more difficult.

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Former Chelsea boss Rafa Benítez, Wolves gaffer Nuno Espírito Santo and Blues legend John Terry, who has been assistant manager at Aston Villa since hanging up his boots, are all also linked with the job.