Mirror

Frank Lampard brushes off pressure and calls for perspective amid replacement talk

Mirror logo Mirror 23/01/2021 23:30:00 Tom Hopkinson

Frank Lampard insists he has no problems keeping perspective over the pressures he is under at Chelsea given everything that is happening in the wider world.

The Blues boss finds himself in the eye of the latest Stamford Bridge storm after five defeats in 10 matches.

To such an extent that RB Leipzig's Julian Nagelsmann and Southampton boss Ralph Hassenhuttl are already being touted as potential replacements.

But while there is an inevitable strain in such a position, the 42-year-old knows that as the world battles Covid-19 there are those whose struggles are much more real than those of an underfire football manager.

a man wearing a suit and tie: Julian Nagelsmann is being touted as a potential replacement for Lampard if Roman Abramovich decides to make a change © AFP via Getty ImagesJulian Nagelsmann is being touted as a potential replacement for Lampard if Roman Abramovich decides to make a change

Lampard said: "It's a very important point. I've mentioned before that I'm the manager of Chelsea and a Chelsea fan, and who wouldn't get excited about that prospect?

"So I'm doing that in these tough times and can come to work and put on this tracksuit and feel proud to wear it, whilst a lot of people are suffering up and down the country, around the world, people have been dying, daily the numbers go up.

"And when I see that and feel that, we all hopefully have compassion to look round clearly and see that people are losing their jobs.

"People are struggling with their livelihoods and that's massive perspective to the so-called pressures or struggles.

"I genuinely mean that.

"I want to be a success, so when we go through a run of games and we don't win, I look for the solutions and answers, and I'll fight for them.

"And then I expect that from the players on the pitch.

"But that's not the worst pressure, that's a good pressure, I enjoy doing that with my life and the perspective of what is going on in the world is a huge one."

The pressure Lampard is under will ease, for a couple of days at least, if Chelsea can see off Championship Luton in the FA Cup today.

a man in a blue shirt: The words of James Maddison, who scored in Leicester's victory over Chelsea, resonated with Lampard © PAThe words of James Maddison, who scored in Leicester's victory over Chelsea, resonated with Lampard

And he wants to see them start to show the identity that was on display in their decent start to the campaign.

Lampard added: "It's interesting, because when you're playing well and winning, your identity is really clear and it's something you want to shout from the rooftops.

"And when you're not playing well, people question your identity, especially when you're a relatively new manager.

"So it's important that I am the one who holds that dear and says, 'Hey, lads, the things that we were doing well, the identity we had that was winning games for us, it has not changed, but we have to go back to something because we have lost some of the basics'.

Brendan Rodgers wearing a suit and tie smiling and looking at the camera: Brendan Rodgers caused Lampard more problems as his Leicester side recorded a comfortable win © PABrendan Rodgers caused Lampard more problems as his Leicester side recorded a comfortable win

"I thought it was a really important thing when I listened to James Maddison speaking after the Leicester game and he spoke about Brendan Rodgers, a coach I have a lot of admiration for.

"It was the message that, 'If you don't run, you don't play'.

"If I want to start my identity, that's how I start it. From the minute I came into this club it was, 'Can we run and be really good and effective off the ball and on the ball? Can we have energy in the team?'

"That's the first thing I want to see and it's something we've definitely dropped off on, there's no doubt about that."

dimanche 24 janvier 2021 01:30:00 Categories: Mirror

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