Manchester United appeared to have finally found the true heir to Sir Alex Ferguson’s throne when they appointed Erik ten Hag last summer, especially following a solid debut campaign.
The former Ajax boss secured a top-four finish in the Premier League during 2022/23 – securing a Champions League berth – while also winning United’s first silverware in six years by defeating Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final.
All signs looked promising for the Dutchman, yet he has been brought down to earth so far this term, winning only five games from 11 while suffering defeats in the opening two Champions League group stage ties, becoming the first United manager to experience this.
A lengthy injury list hasn’t helped his cause while the manager failed to land several of his top targets during the summer transfer window – like Harry Kane – yet there can be no excuse for their performances as of late, and it looks as though they are already out of a title race before Halloween.
Missing out on top targets didn’t impact Ferguson too much during his tenure at Old Trafford, and over the course of 26 and a half years, he missed out on several players who went on to bigger and brighter things.
He could have spearheaded his side to even more trophies had he signed Alan Shearer before Newcastle came calling, while Paul Gascoigne was even a target during his embryonic spell in Manchester – how different Gazza’s career could have been had he been bossing the United midfield we will never know.
'Fergie' was even linked with a talented youngster around the turn of the century, yet he eventually moved to Chelsea and became a Premier League icon in the process – Frank Lampard.
Did Man Utd nearly sign Frank Lampard?
Having enjoyed talents such as Bryan Robson, Roy Keane and Paul Scholes starring across his midfield during his reign at Old Trafford, Ferguson was also keeping an eye out for the next big thing which could revamp his starting XI.
Lampard was making waves during his early spell at West Ham and United had shown interest, with the legendary Scot explaining that he should’ve followed up with a more concrete move for the player.
“Lampard has been unbelievable,” said Ferguson. “I don’t think a midfield player will be able to do that figure again. It’s quite phenomenal.
“Like Bryan Robson, he has had a great knack of timing his runs into the box at the right time. John Wark was another one at Ipswich.
“The guy has had a great career. I must say we looked at him when he was at West Ham as a young player and I maybe regret not having done it.
“Where else could I get 200 goals?”
It’s safe to say United may not have had their dip in form between 2003 and 2006 had they been able to call on the goals of Lampard, especially considering how effective he was in front of goal for the Stamford Bridge side during those years.
What happened to Frank Lampard?
The Englishman joined the Blues for £11m and enjoyed a sparkling spell at the club. During 13 years in London, Lampard not only spearheaded Chelsea to three Premier League titles, but also won a Champions League crown and claimed four FA Cup winners medals as the club enjoyed the most productive spell in their history.
Indeed, Lampard even arguably made a bigger impact in the top flight than David Beckham did during his spell at United. On the surface, this sounds like a strange suggestion as 'Becks' won double the amount of titles than Lampard, yet he was a key member of Fergie’s side, while Lampard was often the catalyst for Chelsea during their period of success.
During his nine seasons where he made a Premier League appearance for United, Beckham scored ten goals in a single term just once – finding the back of the net on 11 occasions during the 2001/02 season.
In comparison, Lampard featured for Chelsea in 13 league seasons and scored ten or more goals in all but three of these, with 2009/10 proving to be his most impressive campaign, netting 22 goals and grabbing 16 assists as the club won their third Premier League title.
Overall, Lampard made 429 top flight appearances for the Blues compared to the 265 games played by Beckham and it is evident who had the bigger impact on their respective team's success.
394
85
159
20
124
20
33
2
14
0
Lampard was able to dictate the play from the heart of the midfield while also proving to be a dangerous threat in the opposition box and if it weren’t for his goals, it is unlikely the Blues would’ve enjoyed the same sort of success.
Beckham on the other hand, was also a sensational footballer and is perhaps overlooked due to his off-the-field image and worldwide fame following his move to Real Madrid in 2003. Aside from Eric Cantona during the 1990s and early 2000s, United tended to operate with a wonderful team spirit that spurred them on to glory.
Removing Beckham would have weakened them, but Ferguson ultimately replaced him rather quickly and moved on – signing Cristiano Ronaldo soon after. Lampard wasn’t as replaceable for Chelsea, especially at the peak of his powers.
What is Frank Lampard doing now?
After hanging up his boots, the former midfielder took up a managerial role with Derby County and after finishing runners-up in the Championship playoff final, he landed his dream job – managing Chelsea.
It didn’t work out at the Blues for Lampard while he also struggled during a year-long spell in charge of Everton, and it certainly proves that having an excellent playing career doesn’t necessarily suggest that a solid managerial career will follow.
Fergie missed out on quite a few world-class talents during his stint at United and Lampard was definitely up there as one of the best in the business, especially after he joined Chelsea.
It's hard to compare the careers of Lampard and Beckham due to them playing in different positions and different leagues for vast spells, but the statistics determine that the former Blues star had a bigger impact in the Premier League and could’ve taken United to a different level.