LAMP OF HOPE & GLORY
It’s time English bosses got a deserved Euro break
The Chelsea manager is only the second Englishman to lead a team in two Champions League campaigns after Sir Bobby Robson.
Former England manager Robson led Newcastle in two campaigns, in 2002- 03 and 2003- 04. No one other than Lampard has managed more than one tilt at the e trophy since.
But Lampard, whose side take on Russian Champions League first- timers Krasnodar tonight, is adamant that more of his countrymen should be given the chance to show what they can do at the top level.
Lampard believes that English managers are still judged differently to foreign bosses who come to the Premier League.
He said: “When I became Chelsea manager, people were questioning me getting the job. People asked me, ‘ Are you sure you want to take it?’
“People can be very quick to form an opinion – and being a young English manager, having done just one year at Derby, some of that I understood. But I made the right decision to take it. I feel that every day and I love it.
“I can’t get hung up on opinion because it will affect you. I just have to do the job as well as I can.”
But Lampard added: “I don’t feel I have a responsibility to the English managers’ union. I was surprised by that statistic myself, being behind the great Bobby
Robson.
“I used to hear it said about English managers that there is a merry- go- round of jobs. It’s different now. We are seeing English managers showing their qualities.
“Sometimes the brilliant invasion of great coaches and players into the Premier League becomes very trendy, because they have achieved so much.
“But we have managers at home that can do the jobs as well.
“I’m not thinking of myself anywhere near like being the standard- bearer. All I do is try to do the job as well as I can.”
Lampard’s team drew their opening Group E game 0- 0 at home to Sevilla last week and the Blues boss is set to make changes tonight.
He added: “People will look at this group and maybe think that against a team in their first time in the Champions League it should be comfortable. We have to have that edge in our game.”
Meanwhile, Krasnodar have a secret weapon. The Russians’ fitness coach is Englishman John Phillips, who used to work at both QPR and Southampton.
And Phillips revealed that he has told Krasnodar’s players to be aggressive and not be intimidated by Chelsea’s millionaires.
Phillips, who worked at Southampton academy at the same time as players like Gareth Bale, said: “They will want to come here and try and dominate.
“We have to fight, work hard and not be intimidated.”