Lamps: I’ve had top bosses, but I’ll do it my way
FRANK LAMPARD will take a pinch of Jose Mourinho and a dash of Carlo Ancelotti into the Derby dressing room.
But the 39-year-old insists he is determined to be his own man as he makes his first foray into football management at the ipro Stadium.
Lampard worked under some huge names in a glittering playing career, including Mourinho, Ancelotti, Guus Hiddink, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Rafa Benitez, Sven-goran Eriksson, Fabio Capello and Claudio Ranieri.
Lamps said: “My aim is to take the good from a lot of them, the good or the bad, because you see the things you like and the things you don’t like.
“It’s hard to name them because you leave people out, but, of course, Jose Mourinho was a big influence.
“At 25, he changed my mindset, gave me confidence and a position in the team as well.
“I grew in stature with him. Carlo Ancelotti was incredible in terms of man-management, Guus Hiddink came in, wise and great, and Harry Redknapp helped me in the beginning.
“It’s part of putting it all together and trying to find what I am.
“That’s where I am now, I’ll try to be myself and not anyone else.”
Lampard knows he needs to reduce the age of Derby’s squad, but he said: “I don’t think it needs a big change.
“I have my own ideas and I won’t beat around the bush in starting – but it won’t be with a big stick.
“It will be, ‘These are my ideas and this is the way I trained and the way I want players to train and play’. But it won’t be, ‘Here I am, these are my ideas and they are better than anyone else’.
“I will speak with the players, I will be very open, I want to see how they see it.
“They can have ownership of it. We have a strong, experienced backbone here and I will tap into that.
“Obviously I’ll be the one making the decisions and setting the tone, but I want the players to be with me.
“Things will happen and I’m here as a manager to make those decisions.
“If there’s a decision that needs to be made, you make it.”