Lampard on Kante, Hudson-Odoi’s future, Luiz, Man Utd, Solskjaer, youngsters and proving doubters wrong
Frank Lampard spoke about a number of issues at a news conference on Friday ahead of this weekend’s match against Manchester United. Here’s some of what the new Blues boss had to say.
On whether he feels excited ahead of his first game
“Yes. I’ve been excited from the first moment that the job was confirmed.
“To be back here is a huge thing for me. But the most important thing is that I want to make a success of it.
“So this is where it really begins. We’ve had a good pre-season but now the real stuff is coming – you can feel it in the air.
“I’m excited and the players are excited. Now we have to deliver.”
On whether the experience of other Premier League managers makes him nervous
“I hadn’t thought about it in that way. I’m aware that I’m relatively young in managerial years, but I just consider the challenge.
“The challenge is to give my best, to work as hard as I can with the team that I’ve got – and here I am.
“I’m not fearful or gauging the age or experience of other managers or other teams and what they’ve got. I’m concentrating on us, myself, and will certainly give my all.”
On the latest team news
“Kante is fit. Is he match fit? It’s a question I’ll have to decide right up to the end.
“Willian is working to be fit and it’s probably come slightly too soon for him.
“Possibly Rudiger is the same but Rudiger has been training with us for a few days now. That’s for me again to gauge over the next 24-48 hours until Sunday.”
On facing United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
“I always enjoyed playing at Old Trafford – an incredible stadium, incredible history and always a difficult match.
“I suppose we’re both at similar stages in that people will talk about Ole and now I think it’s his real chance to stamp his authority on that team, with the transfer window and pre-season behind him, and I’m trying to make a stamp here, so it makes for a competitive match.
“It’s a big game for us both, without a doubt. We both have the same idea that we want to up our game and be successful again. I feel it’s huge and he will too.”
On criticism of United boss Solskjaer last season
“When you manage a club of the stature of Man United or Chelsea it (pressure) comes with the territory.
“Sometimes it can be excessive and you have to have thick skin and be tough to get through that.
“I think it’s quite possibly harsh. He came in and they had a great lift and then things got tough.
“But I think we should really give Ole (time) and look at him this season with a pre-season, some of the signings he’s brought in and his ideas further down the line. It’s up to him to prove as much as it’s up to me to prove here.”
On David Luiz’s move to Arsenal
“We had some conversations over the last week – honest conversations, because I know David well and I think the conclusion of that was that he moved on.
“It’s an area of the pitch where I have competition. There’s going to be competition through the year and people will need to make that shirt their own, as they will all over the pitch.
“It’s a competitive area, so he’s moved on. I and we as a club certainly wish him the absolute best because he’s been part of a lot of really good things in our recent history.”
On reports of a fall-out and Luiz going on strike
“There certainly wasn’t any strike, so I’ll make that clear straightaway.
“In terms of fall-outs, no there weren’t. There were honest conversations and I think as a player I always respect honesty from a manager, whatever the news, and I think I got that back from David, hence why he ended up moving on to Arsenal. There were no strikes.
“The day David didn’t train was a decision that I made because we were in the middle of this and we were talking and it was quite clear which way it was going.
“That was not a punishment, or because there was a strike, or being ostracised at all.”
On whether there might be more departures this month
“I don’t expect there will be. We obviously have the ban. We obviously haven’t been able to make moves in terms of bringing players in.
“So I’m very happy with the squad I’ve got now and my focus is working with that now.
“We’ll see for the next couple of weeks until the European windows shut, but I think you saw the big moves.”
On the impact of the transfer ban
“I was very aware of it. I suppose I shouldn’t be too frustrated, because I knew what I was coming into and the club knew.
“I see it as an opportunity in different ways – we know that with the younger players.
“It’s certainly a challenge, not just for myself but the whole club. Can we remain competitive when we’re in this position? I believe we can.
“I think with the ban it’s been very easy to write off the squad somewhat. I’m not writing it off. I’m saying that we are hungry to try to prove to everybody that we will be up there this year, and I believe in the squad.”
On Chelsea’s doubters
“I love it. I love listening to the radio, hearing the predictions and we’re not in the top four. I love reading all those predictions.
“It means there’s a challenge – and there’s nothing better in football than proving someone or people or an idea wrong. So we should accept that challenge.
“There’s two things; one is the outside world and what they think of us and what we think in here, within these walls. We believe we can really have a go – and I will drive that and the players themselves will and we’ll try to be successful.”
On whether there’s any update on Callum Hudson-Odoi’s future
“No, there’s not. The club’s talking. I want him to stay. We hope Callum stays – simple as that.
“The better news is that he’s working on his fitness and he’s back on the (training) pitch, so from my point of view right now that’s the really good news, and of course as a club we’d like that to be longer term.”
On whether he believes Chelsea’s youngsters can step up
“Yes. I know the talent they have. I love working with them. I love training with them. I love them as lads, because they’re very driven.
“They bring enthusiasm to training every day – and quality. It gives a great balance to our squad.
“I’ll include Tomori. I’ll include Reece James, who’s injured at the moment. I’ll include Pulisic, who we’ve brought in but is a young man still, let’s remember that.
“That youth is an important part of our squad. I’m expectant and that’s not to put too much on their shoulders. It’s just what I see every day, that they will deliver.
“That door has to be open for them and they have to open that door and walk through it. Let’s see them do it.”
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