FRANK’S STILL ISTANBULLISH
Lampard is not about to let seven days make him weak
FRANK LAMPARD has had better weeks.
But he knows that the life of a manager is full of ups and downs, and he’s ready to take the lows with the highs.
Parachuted into the top job after an impressive season with Derby, Lampard is already having to cope with the lows.
David Luiz sold to Arsenal on deadline day. A 4-0 thumping at Manchester United. Questions asked by his former boss Jose Mourinho.
But Lampard, a Blues icon as a player, has seen it all before – and now has the chance to hit a high by beating Champions League winners Liverpool to lift the European Super Cup in Istanbul.
The Chelsea boss said: “This week is a good example of that rollercoaster. But I had a year at Derby last season where I had similar rollercoasters.
“I think that comes with managers’ jobs, particularly at clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City – all the bigger teams. But I’m very prepared for that.
“It has been a week where a lot has happened. But I was ready for that and I certainly don’t fear that.
“There are challenges every day in this job, from small decisions at the training ground to a bigger decision about a player after a result.
“I’m prepared for that and let’s see what the rollercoaster brings moving forward.”
Right now, it brings the frightening prospect of a match-up in Turkey against a Liverpool side at the top of their game.
The Reds thrashed Norwich 4-1 in their Premier League opener and only lost to Premier League champions City on penalties in the Community Shield.
They also play a brand of lightning-quick counter-attacking football even more ruthless than the one United used to tear Chelsea apart at Old Trafford on Sunday.
But Lampard has faith in young players like Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Andreas Christensen, who all copped criticism after
Sunday’s rout.
And he is convinced they have the winning mentality ingrained in the culture of a club which has won 16 major trophies since Roman Abramovich took over in 2003.
Lampard said: “It is hard to pinpoint what winning mentality is or what DNA is.
“But for me it all comes from doing the hard work out on the training pitch.
“It comes from a spirit and a bond and something you work at every day in training and bring into big matches like this.
“I don’t want to give the squad – or a young player individually – the ultimatum that if we don’t win then that’s the winning mentality gone. It’s not.
“I lost semi-finals, finals and really big games with a really good squad. We really want to win. But the picture is how we work together to become a team.
“Yes, we need to have a winning mentality but it’s also about working hard day in and day out to get that. This game will be a great start towards that.
“I am optimistic because I believe in the players and I believe in the fact we are here in the final because we deserve to be.
“If we play to our maximum we can win the match.”