BIELSA IS AN INTERESTING CHARACTER, HE INTRIGUES ME
Frank Lampard on the controversial Leeds boss in the wake of ‘Spygate’
E VEN for Frank Lampard it’s been quite a week. He encountered almost everything the game has to offer during a glittering 21-year playing career, but is quickly discovering that nothing prepares you for football management.
In the space of seven days, Lampard has experienced the highs, the lows and the downright ridiculous.
A high was Wednesday’s penalty shootout win over Southampton as Derby dumped the Premier League side out of the FA Cup. A low was defeat by Leeds in last Friday’s crucial Championship clash. As for the ridiculous, where do we start?
Lampard, unintentionally, has found himself at the eye of a storm after Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa admitted to spying on Derby’s training sessions.
‘I’ve been intrigued about him all season,’ admitted Lampard. ‘I’ve read his book. He came into my office after the game at Pride Park. He’s an interesting character.’
But Lampard has no desire to dwell on the furore and instead wants to extract the positives from a peculiar week.
He soaked up information as a player to make himself better, and he’s the same as manager. ‘Spygate’ is part of the learning curve.
The Chelsea legend is finding out that managing a football team is all-consuming. But you get the impression he wouldn’t have it any other way.
‘The highs and lows are something you certainly have to get used to and balance off,’ said the Derby boss. ‘One of the more difficult things about the job is how much it consumes you.
‘I take the game home with me more than I did as a player but I am lucky I have good staff — Jody Morris, Chris Jones, Shay Given.
‘We are not lacking in anything here. I am fortunate in that respect. But I am someone who likes to be hands on. On my laptop, watching training back, watching opponents, watching our games, trying to find any tweaks I can. I am very fortunate that my wife is understanding. We were very together on the decision because I didn’t have to go into management at the point I went into it. I wanted it right for the family. We had a baby on the way at the same time. It was like I piled one thing on top of another.’
Chelsea were falling over themselves to persuade him to return. Similarly, the Football Association made it clear they saw a role for him at St George’s Park.
Instead, Lampard chose Derby and the unpredictability of Championship football.
Much like former England colleague Steven Gerrard, who chose to leave the Liverpool academy to test himself at Rangers, Lampard took the decision to step out of his comfort zone.
‘We’re not stupid,’ said Lampard. ‘Steven and I know that the ante is upped because of the name.
‘I do feel pressure, I felt it early on when we won at Reading but lost at Leeds and Millwall and already people were saying, “How long’s it going to last?” That’s harsh. But when the spotlight is slightly more, it is what it is.’
Lampard doesn’t have the vast playing budget that the managers he worked under at Chelsea enjoyed, but he arrived in May prepared for those constraints.
The shrewd loan captures of youngsters Mason Mount, Harry Wilson and Fikayo Tomori have invigorated the squad with a youthful enthusiasm. Yet, there is more rebuilding
‘Do I enjoy every aspect? Not always. I feel the losses more than I did as a player.’
work required with a number of players out of contract at the end of the season.
Lampard knows that will be a challenging balancing act. But it’s testament to how quickly he has hit the ground running that Derby are in with a realistic shot at promotion.
Their Carabao Cup win over Manchester United in September, coupled with the victory over Southampton, are further evidence of Lampard’s excellent start to life as a manager, particularly having spent so little.
‘I had an opportunity to be an ambassador at Chelsea but it wasn’t the right thing for me at the time’ he explained. ‘The FA and Dan Ashworth were fantastic, so there were open doors there but they were never concrete.
‘But Derby came up and now I am here, I am actually quite pleased I have gone different. I have learned so much here in six months at a new club, in a new city. It’s absolutely out of my comfort zone. The Chelsea academy would have probably been sitting somewhere quite comfortable for me.
‘Do I enjoy every aspect? Not always every minute. I certainly enjoy the wins more than I did as a player. I feel the losses more than I did as a player. But I love it.
‘I have heard managers say how lonely the job is. The last five minutes on the sidelines at Leeds are lonely, you’re 2-0 down and you know what’s coming.’
Yet Lampard doesn’t pine over his playing days.
‘I’m not grieving over my career,’ said the 40-year-old. ‘I felt like I did as much as I could.
‘If you’d told me at 17 that I was going to play for Chelsea and England, win everything I did, I genuinely wouldn’t have believed you. I was so on myself as I player, completely driven — I really enjoy not having that.
‘I sat in on a couple of Premier League panels and went through stats about divorce, financial issues and talking about how players can be best supported.
‘But I didn’t have lots of fears. I knew I wanted to finish, it was the right time. But I understand why players do, because it is tough.
‘The camaraderie didn’t bother me too much. I enjoyed the dressing room, but I was never one to say, “I’ll miss the dressing room so much”.’
But that’s not to say Lampard hasn’t nurtured long-lasting friendships in the game.
The Blues legend is still in close contact with former Chelsea team-mates John Terry, Petr Cech and Didier Drogba.
Another ex-Stamford Bridge colleague, Ashley Cole, is about to join him at Pride Park.
Lampard added: ‘I speak to John regularly, we have a huge bond. We have a WhatsApp group with John, Didier, Ashley and Petr — pretty much all the team. We keep in touch all the time.
‘I wasn’t alone in the dressing room, and there will always be a bond between the Chelsea group.
‘Even from my time at Manchester City, I’m in touch with Sergio Aguero and some of the players there.’