FRANK LAMPARD believes being ‘one of our own’ can hinder as much as help managers.
Chelsea’s young boss has hit out at a typically blunt outburst from Manchester United legend turned TV pundit Roy Keane.
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The Irishman defended his former club’s Norwegian chief Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by dragging Englishman Lampard into a TV debate.
He said: “Frank Lampard has lost eight games, yet for some reason he’s doing all right.
“Maybe it is because he is English, I don’t know.”
Lampard has already lost as many Premier League games in his six months in charge as Chelsea did all of last season under Italian boss Maurizio Sarri.
But he was surprised to hear his name dragged up while sat at home watching the Liverpool versus United clash, reflecting on his own team’s 1-0 defeat at Newcastle 24 hours earlier.
Lampard said: “That’s the moment my ears pricked up because I don’t think being English gives you any sort of a bye from criticism.
“I heard quite a lot when I first got this job, writing me off because I’m young and English and had only had a year at Derby.
“I don’t need to name names — I don’t even remember.
“Certain people were saying you shouldn’t give him the job, give it to people who have experience of doing well in Italy or some- where else.
“I think that conversation was so quick that a lot was coming out.
“Fair play to Roy, I love watching him talk about football because of how passionate he is and to the point.
“But I don’t think I’ve had any byes for being English — sometimes it feels slightly different.
“I went to Derby with a team in a difficult place and we made a fantastic effort to get promoted.
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“I don’t expect that to be a gauge of whether I should have got the Chelsea job.
“We are in a process here and I want to get better.
“I won’t concern myself with that sort of stuff because it can throw you two ways.
“A manager that comes from another country will get praise or criticism and a manager that is English and home-grown will get praise or criticism at different points of their career.
“But I don’t get praise because I am English — every manager gets the same.”
Lampard is focused on tonight’s London derby at home to Arsenal.
Under him, Chelsea have scored fewer goals than at the corresponding point last season.
Yet fans adore his ambition to break a cycle of huge transfer splurges, punctuated by managerial sackings that have robbed Chelsea of any sense of continuity, however many trophies they have won.
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At Crystal Palace in November, Lampard bravely fielded the youngest Chelsea starting line-up in their Premier League history, but patience is a rare commodity.
He said: “Jurgen Klopp has had four years to build his incredible Liverpool team.
“A mixture of young players have come through and improved and he takes credit for that — there has been fantastic recruitment of players who have improved over four years and then some big-hitting signings.
“When it comes to Ole or myself, you do want time and you do want to put all those things in place — young players that take time to develop and get better recruitment.”
Chelsea face another team in flux in Arsenal, who are looking for a new direction too.
New manager Mikel Arteta had been in charge less than a week when he watched his team lose 2-1 at home to Chelsea four days after Christmas.
Lampard said: “This Premier League is proving to be so competitive.
“Arsenal fancied being in the top four, they normally do contest it and they still can.
“You have seen a bit of a change since Arteta came in with their performances.
“We felt that in the first 30 minutes at the Emirates particularly, so we must be on our guard and at our best.”
