Frank’s tough ... cross him at your peril

IF I was a Derby player, the first thing I’d have done after learning Frank Lampard was my new manager would have been to go for a run. Frank will command respect the moment he walks into training. He has won everything, played more than 100 times for his country and was one of the greats of his generation. Straight away, I would be determined to impress him. This is a man who, as a young player at West Ham, would put on his spikes after training and work tirelessly on his sprinting. He will demand the highest standards. Frank is a lovely person but he is tough, too. While he is not the sort who will go looking for confrontation, you let him down at your peril. He is taking on a great challenge. Derby have the fifth biggest crowds in the Championship yet have not tasted success at the highest level since the 1970s. His first decision, to appoint Jody Morris as his No 2, is inspired. Jody has a proven track record of developing young players. Like Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall at Bournemouth, Frank and Jody are good friends away from football and know what the other is thinking. This could be a dream partnership. I cannot wait to see the way Frank sets his team up. He has played for Carlo Ancelotti, one of the world’s best attacking coaches, and a defensive master in Jose Mourinho. Having also worked with my dad and Frank Snr, he has a lot of people he can turn to for advice. Even after more than 30 years as a coach, my dad will still say one of the hardest things is dropping a player. That is something Frank will have to learn quickly. He has a great life and could so easily have carried on with his TV work. It is to the benefit of English football that he and Steven Gerrard will start their managerial careers next season. I hope they are both a success at their clubs. These two young managers are the future of our game.