BHOYS MAKE ANGER COUNT
FRANK LAMPARD knows what it take to fill the Chelsea hot seat but reckons he has a bit to learn before he reaches that mark.
Chelsea playing legend Lampard has been hotly tipped to take over from Maurizio Sarri (below).
But Lampard, who leads Derby into their East Midlands battle with Nottingham Forest tonight, insisted: “I would be stupid or naive to get any ideas above my station of what might be the next step.
“I am here at Derby to work and at the minute I am just trying to win games for this club.”
Sarri was facing the sack ahead of yesterday’s Carabao Cup Final with Manchester City.
Hit by a transfer ban and likely to lose star player Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, Chelsea would love a return to the Lampard trophy-winning days. He won the Champions League, three Premier League titles, the FA Cup four times, the League Cup twice and the Europa League with them.
But Lampard, 40, only took his first step into management with Derby nine months ago.
He watched Chelsea play City from the Derby team hotel yesterday and said: “All the speculation about me and Chelsea actually makes it easier for me in my job with Derby.
“My clarity of thought is on my job here. I am just dealing with what is in front of me. “I have 14 games to try to get us as high up the table as we can.”
On the FIFA transfer embargo Chelsea are appealing, Lampard added: “I don’t know any of the detail, but all the big clubs are always moving forward in terms of recruitment and who they bring in so, of course, it will be damaging. “Let them have their appeal and see what the outcome is.”
Following a dismal midweek home defeat by Millwall, Lampard will try to extended Derby’s unbeaten run in the A52 derby to seven games. Martin O’neill, making his debut as City Ground boss in the derby, refuses to play down the importance of the game.
A Rams win would take them into the top six but Forest could get to within a point of Derby with victory. CELTIC maintained their eightpoint lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
But the 4-1 win over Motherwell was marred by alleged poor sportsmanship from the visitors.
With Celtic’s Ryan Christie injured, the home side put the ball out of play, expecting it to be returned to them at the restart.
Motherwell’s James Scott broke the unwritten rule of etiquette and broke away. Celtic keeper Scott Bain parried his shot but Gboly Ariyibi tucked home the rebound to make it 2-1.
That riled Celtic’s players and inspired two goals by Odsonne Edouard and Oliver Burke. Scott Sinclair (above) and Edouard had given Celtic a 2-0 half-time lead.
Earlier, Rangers won 5-0 at Hamilton with five scorers. Ryan Jack, Jermain Defoe and Scott Arfield made it 3-0 after only 24 minutes. James Tavernier got a penalty then Kyle Lafferty netted.