Cocu’s the perfect fit for County
THE corridor down to the manager’s office at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground is not somewhere even Frank Lampard used to venture too often.
With the intimidating figure of Jose Mourinho, or Carlo Ancelotti, sitting at the other end, what was waiting for you might not always be good news. Dropped, maybe, or no new contract.
But now, it is 41-year-old Lampard himself sitting in that chair, behind that big desk, with all the paperwork.
A lot earlier than he expected, he admits, but it was a chair he always had his sights on. And now it is his.
Mind you, he has not actually sat in it a lot yet, as five days after taking over, Chelsea were in Ireland on the first leg of their summer tour. Now, here in Japan, he is continuing the task of moulding his squad into the type of team he wants.
The former England star said: “I have actually sat in it! I was at Cobham the first day, before we went to Ireland, and the morning before we came here.
“It felt good. But I wouldn’t have gone there much as a player. Only if called in. That corridor towards the manager’s office is somewhere you didn’t venture much. But now it’s where I’ll be.
“I always felt I might be back in that chair one day. Maybe I was naïve. The Chelsea job doesn’t arrive in your lap. It has come early, I’m under no illusions about that. I didn’t expect it after one year at Derby.”
Lampard, relaxed as we chatted in the team hotel in Yokohama, has been careful since taking over not to claim any one of his previous managers was more of an influence FRANK LAMPARD insisted Everton target Kurt Zouma is not for sale after suffering his first defeat as Chelsea manager.
The Blues (Kenedy, above) were sluggish in sweltering heat, falling to a goal four minutes from time from Kawasaki’s Leandro Damiao.
The Toffees will offer £30million for defender Zouma, 24, who had an impressive season on loan at Goodison Park last term.
But Chelsea, under a transfer ban, do not want to lose any of their squad, and Lampard said: “He had a very good season at Everton. I understand why they want him.
“But he’s a Chelsea player and I want him. If he competes well, he plays.” DERBY think big-name Phillip Cocu is the perfect match as their new boss.
Frank Lampard left to join Chelsea dealing the Rams a double blow after they came within 90 minutes of the top flight, losing in the Championship play-off final to Aston Villa.
But County owner Mel Morris admitted that once he’d met former Barcelona and Holland star Cocu he was instantly won over.
Cocu’s pedigree is impeccable. The 48-year-old played for Barca alongside Pep Guardiola and won more than 100 caps for Holland.
Morris said: “Once I had met him, I turned to one of my colleagues and said, ‘If he turns us down we’re going to struggle with any subsequent interviews’.
“He wasn’t coming for the money. He shared our
‘Lots of managers influenced me and if I ever felt the need to reach out, I would. But we all have to find our own way’