Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)

FRANK WILL BE A BLUE LEGEND

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EXCLUSIVE BY TONY BANKS CLAUDIO RANIERI never saw Frank Lampard as manager material when he was his boss at Chelsea – because he was too busy concentrat­ing on saving his own job.

But the former Chelsea manager, now in charge at Serie A side Sampdoria, is convinced Lampard will soon be bringing more silverware to Stamford Bridge.

Lampard’s Chelsea registered their fourth win in a row when they beat Sheffield United 4-1 before the internatio­nal break, a result that pushed them up to fifth place in the Premier

League table.

Game by game, it is looking more and more like the £220million that Chelsea spent during the summer is paying off, as players like Hakim Ziyech and Ben Chilwell find their feet alongside fellow newcomers like Timo Werner.

Ranieri signed Lampard (top) for Chelsea in a bargain £11million deal in 2001. Two years later Roman

Abramovich bought the club and suddenly everything took off – the Italian lasting only one more year as manager before Jose Mourinho arrived.

But Ranieri, who came back to England to lead Leicester to a remarkable Premier League title in 2016 and has since had a brief spell in charge at Fulham, recalled: “Frank was a fantastic player for me. He understood immediatel­y the tactics I was trying to use. I was so happy to have him as a player. He was so important.

“Did I see him as a potential future manager? No, but that was only because I was concentrat­ing on my own job!”

But Ranieri, now 69 and in his 34th year in management, is certain Lampard is destined for similar success in the dugout as he enjoyed during his playing career – if he is given the time to mould his young side. The Italian (with Lampard, above, during their Chelsea days) said: “Frank is already doing well. I have watched his career in management since he started.

“It was a good move to start his managerial career at Derby. You start to learn the job at a club lower down the leagues – and Frank did well there. He took them to the play-offs, which is not easy in that division. It was very good experience.”

But the man who earned the nickname The Tinkerman while in charge at Chelsea for his constant changes of tactics, warned: “Chelsea is different. At Chelsea they expect success yesterday. The pressure is immediate. The good thing is that Frank will know that because he was a player there. He will know the way things work at the club.

“The important thing is that he needs to be given time to make this team work because he has brought in a lot of players. It is difficult to make it work straight away.

“I hope he gets that time. I know from when I was there how difficult it is.

“But right now Frank is working very well. I have been watching Chelsea and they are playing good football - and the results are coming. I was not worried at the start of the season because I could see he had very good players. I knew it would come right. The important thing now is that Frank carries on this form and this work.

“The young players have to be given time to make their mistakes, to learn the game. They have been very good for Frank but they are still young. It is not an easy thing to wear the Chelsea shirt. But look at Tammy Abraham, a very good young striker, who will score goals. And Mason Mount, who can play, as we say in Italy, the last pass, the important pass.

“But they and the new players need to understand Frank’s football and each other’s game. I think that is happening now.

“Look how long it took Jurgen Klopp to get it right at Liverpool.

“Frank will be a success at Chelsea, I am sure of that. I can see things happening for him now. He will win trophies there. Just give him the time.”

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