With
Chelsea fresh from a standout Champions League win at Ajax and sitting in
the Premier League's top four ahead of their Saturday Night Football clash
with Burnley, it's fair to say Frank Lampard's second season in management
has started rather well.
After guiding Derby to the Championship play-off final last season, Lampard
has led his youthful Chelsea side into an impressive run of form, despite
the transfer ban which prevented the club from replacing key figure Eden
Hazard in the summer.
But how has the Chelsea legend coped with the switch from playing to
management? What are the different challenges he has to face as a coach? And
which of his former managers does he take his inspiration from?
Here, Lampard sits down with Sky Sports and opens up on the tricky switch
from the playing field to the dugout…
"The transition from player to manager is huge"
The transition from player to manager is huge, in terms of responsibilities.
As a player, I had a long career and you can worry about yourself for a lot
of that career; you can worry about the team but mainly you're worrying
about yourself.
To come into management, it was slightly unexpected so soon, and there's
obviously a nervous feeling.
At Derby, I knew the job would be big, with the idea of getting out of the
Championship, going into a new club with new faces, thinking how quickly I
could get the message across to the players…
I had a meeting the first day with the players at Derby - and similarly here
at Chelsea - where I just tried to lay out the fact that I would be pretty
open, and the players could talk to me, but also what I demanded and wanted
in terms of playing style and ethics of how we work.
Luckily we had a really good group of staff and players, and we had a pretty
good year- although we fell at the last hurdle.
"I sat in the Chelsea manager's office and had a little moment to
myself"
I had something on my side in that I knew the club well. I knew as I drove
here on the first day that I'd know a lot of faces, that I'd know the ins
and outs.
What I didn't do too much as a player was step into the manager's office. I
waited to be asked in or occasionally would tap on the door, but it wasn't
regular for me. To go upstairs and turn left, as opposed to right, was
slightly strange and surreal.
I sat in the office the first day I got there and had a little moment to
myself, but that's kind of where the surreal nature and emotions had to
stop.
I thought 'I'm in work mode', and used the fact I knew some faces to settle
in pretty quickly and got to the job in hand. Things have gone very quickly
but it feels like I've been here a long time.
The look
I haven't had any moment where I've said 'this is what I'll be'. I wore a
tracksuit in some cups, a suit for some games… I am superstitious so it can
decide what I'm going to wear.
On match days you do get active on the line and in the dressing room, and
I've found it to be comfortable to wear a tracksuit, but I've not decided
that's me for my managerial life.
"Family time allows me to switch off"
It's something I can improve. My wife will probably tell you I can improve
too! But my 'switching off' is my family time.
I have two daughters who are at school and a third, my baby daughter, who's
just over a year old. Obviously they're huge to me and this job takes a lot
of your time and effort, so every moment I get I try to switch off with the
family.
I have a very understanding wife who's very driven herself, but if I can
I'll put something other than the football on the TV, spend some time with
my daughters doing homework, take the dog for a walk, and basically try to
get away from the environment. But it's tough!
"I didn't feel I was certain to become a manager when I was playing"
When you're playing, it's such a long road. I needed a year off when I
finished, to go through my coaching badges, and time with the family.
As a guy over 30 I started to get more interested in the idea of management
and how I could affect others around me, and help players, and hopefully
bring success in that way as a manager.
There were a lot of big personalities in the dressing room. I never got too
far ahead of myself. It's nice to see some of those players - Joe Cole,
Ashley Cole, John Terry - it's good to see them coming through.
"Jose gave me a lift, Ancelotti was so personable"
All of my former managers have helped, for good or bad. You take everything
on board in different ways.
Jose Mourinho was obviously huge for me and the first time he came to the
club he gave me a huge uplift in confidence. More than tactics or technical
stuff, it was more about how good I could be and did I have the mindset to
move up levels.
Carlo Ancelotti, in terms of how personable a manager could be, his
relationship one-on-one, to get the best out of you I always found special.
Those two I tend to say a lot, but I feel bad leaving out a lot of the other
managers I had.
"Azpilicueta and Jorginho could be managers - but need to focus on
playing right now"
I would encourage my players not to do their badges, because I'd like them
to focus on their game - but when we have meetings that they take it in,
think about it and the bigger picture because that can help you.
I've got good leaders. Azpilicueta who is the captain for a reason because
he sets such a great example, he's a football man who I would imagine will
stay in the game.
Jorginho, too, who's recently become vice-captain. Part of the reason for
that was because he thinks about the game and he's a winner. He's very
forthright in the dressing room but a thinker too. When you change something
he's always listening and asking.
"There's a respect among fellow managers"
Jody Morris my assistant, is close with me since we were at the West Ham and
Chelsea youth teams. We work together and are always in contact too, we're
very close. And everyone knows I'm close with John Terry from my time here.
But now I'm in the Premier League as a manager I go to the meetings and
people like Pep Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp and Roy Hodgson
are also friendly and accommodating.
They're not best mates, but there's a respect I found interesting and really
appreciated when I sat with them.
Frank Lampard in three words...
Determined - because I'm determined for improvement and that's as much for
myself as well as the players and squad.
That could lead you onto obsessive, which sounds strange but it's something
I had as a player.
And after that I try to be calm. It's important to stay level-headed, in
victory and defeat, important that the players see that from you and it's in
my nature anyway.
If playing is 10, what's managing?
It's a 10/10 too.
I'm so fortunate in my career. It was long, I was in a big era particularly
here where we were full of top players and won stuff. But particularly as a
manager.
I get asked this a lot but I don't miss playing. I felt like I gave
everything in my career and the end came at the right time for me and
probably everyone else!
The managing, the wins, the responsibility for what you might have done
through the week is as big if not more. The defeats are as hard if not more!
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