Frank Lampard has dismissed suggestions he is too inexperienced to succeed as Chelsea manager.
A run of five defeats in the last eight Premier League games has placed Lampard’s position under intense scrutiny with a number of coaches including the out-of-work Thomas Tuchel, RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann and Southampton’s Ralph Hasenhuttl linked with the position.
The visit of Luton in the FA Cup on Sunday could provide a welcome respite from the pressure of the league. It will take a major upturn in league form to divert attention away from the manager, though, and suggestions the 42-year-old lacks the experience to turn things around.
“This is a funny one because when we’re winning games and unbeaten, it’s a great thing, it’s described as exciting and young,” Lampard said. “When you’re not winning games, then you’re too young and inexperienced.
“I get that perception. A while ago I spoke to an experienced and massively successful manager who’s retired now and he told me once that people talk about the experience and it’s the most overtalked thing in management.
“He felt that he got a worse manager as he got older as he started to second guess and overthink things and all the experiences he’d had kind of went over the top of each other. I don’t know that one.
“Some managers have great success at a young age, some less so and it takes them time. Everyone’s path is different.”
Lampard’s acknowledged his frustrations may have been evident during his pre-match media briefing.
“It is what it is,” he added. “You have to go into it wanting to handle pressure, wanting to handle success by being humble about it at all times.
“That’s why I am maybe a bit short with some of my answers to some people today. I know that some of the talk is nonsense; it’s only the action that matters so all that I will control is what’s in front of me.”
Chelsea’s recent dip has coincided with a lack of impact from their two highest-profile summer signings of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.
The German duo cost a combined total of £120million but are both on 11-game goal droughts.
In Havertz’s case, he has yet to get going this season but Lampard insists that is not down to a lack of effort and highlighted the difficulties faced by Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah at Chelsea when they first arrived in the Premier League.
“I can officially say from working with Kai that desire is absolutely not part of the issue,” said the manager. “Is he as confident right now, at this minute, as he can be or will be? No because he is having a tough moment, as are other members of the squad.
“Kevin De Bruyne and Mo Salah are players who were here at a similar age to Kai. They went away and took time and came back, and now they are absolute Premier League legends.
“I don’t want to build Kai up and put that pressure on his shoulders, but there clearly has to be a time with young players who come to this league, where people have to give them time, patience and sometimes a little bit of wriggle room.
“It’s not that everything will just happen in a few months or in one performance. He has a style that maybe when things aren’t coming off, people want to jump on. I’ve seen players like that over the years, some amazingly talented players.
“But, let me tell you, his desire, the ground he covers in games is big, the data and the stats are big, and he needs time because we’ve seen this story so many times with players.”
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