Jose Mourinho believes Chelsea have ‘bought some time’ after appointing club legend Frank Lampard as their new boss.
The former Derby County manager has a tough job on his hands at Stamford Bridge with the club’s transfer ban preventing him for strengthening the Blues squad in his first summer in charge.
Lampard, 41, will be tasked with getting the best out of the younger players at his disposal, including Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham, and his former boss Mourinho believes he will get more support than a ‘different profile of manager’ would in the same situation.
“I always say that every experienced manager was one day inexperienced,” Mourinho said on Sky Sports ahead of Lampard’s managerial debut at Manchester United.
“And the inexperienced ones need a chance. What do they need? Talent. They have or they don’t have.
“Does Frank at Chelsea, what he was as a player, does that give him a capital of trust? Especially the relationship with the fans? Obviously, yes.”
He continued: “But it’s still Chelsea with a massive record of success and obviously with a massive record of sacking managers.
“By having Frank in place now they didn’t buy players, but they bought time, they bought some time.
“He’s going to have that time that probably a different profile of manager wouldn’t have.”
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And when queried about whether Chelsea can finish in the top top four, he added: “I think they can finish fourth.
“The most difficult job is when you have the pressure to win and everybody expects you to win, and if you finish second you are the first of the losers. That’s the pressure.
“I think with the transfer ban that eases the pressure.
“Who plays tonight Giroud or Tammy Abraham?
“If Abraham plays and Chelsea doesn’t win, people can go in the direction of the young players, they need time, we are not going to play to win the Premier League.
“With these options you buy time for yourself.
“Do you ask me, would I prefer the pressure but feel conditions to win or the other way?
“I would always prefer the pressure to win, no chance I would choose the other way around.
“But I think they bought time.”
