When it comes to maintaining discipline within his squad, Frank Lampard’s view is that he cannot be a dictator. Chelsea’s manager knows it is unrealistic for him to be everywhere at once and it has not taken him long to appreciate the value of senior players creating the right culture in the dressing room.
Lampard has been talking about his responsibility to his young players this past week but it is not just up to him to ensure standards are met. Having broken into the first team this season, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Reece James, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori will all benefit from being led down the right path by their more experienced teammates.
That matters to Lampard, who has delighted in watching the seasoned professionals in his squad step up their performances in recent weeks. He has talked up Willian, scorer of Chelsea’s winner in Wednesday’s victory at Lille in the Champions League. Jorginho, underwhelming under Maurizio Sarri last season, is Lampard’s new vice-captain. N’Golo Kanté has impressed whenever he has been fit and César Azpilicueta, the captain, is gradually regaining his form in defence. The kids have not completely taken over. Not yet.
“Without a doubt there’s a responsibility of senior players that they set the tone,” Lampard said before his side’s trip Southampton on Sunday afternoon. “The young players will look up to them and follow their lead, hopefully in the right way. That’s on and off the pitch.
“I’m not naive enough to think I can walk around and be the dictator of this building at all times. It’s impossible. I rely heavily on my staff as well and I rely on all the players, the senior players to take on their responsibilities. And they do. I’m happy with what I’ve seen.”
Lampard was a strong figure in a powerful dressing room when he played for Chelsea. His teammates included Ashley Cole and Didier Drogba and a brilliant side were captained by John Terry. These days the vibe is more sedate.
“All eras and groups are different,” Lampard said. “It’s difficult to replicate an exact group of a dressing room that was here 15 years ago. You don’t have to have the stereotypical leader thumping his chest. The modern dressing room has changed a lot. The strength within the group can be shown in different ways. It can be shown through the young players. It doesn’t mean you have to have a big core of experienced players that are banging the drum daily. What you need is a strong group and then your leaders come from within it.”
What Lampard wants is a competitive spirit within the group and he has not been afraid to be ruthless with his team selections. Before the Lille game he said Ross Barkley had been naive to be caught arguing with a taxi driver during a night out in Liverpool last Sunday. The England international did not make the bench at Stade Pierre‑Mauroy on Wednesday.
Nor did Christian Pulisic, the £58m signing from Borussia Dortmund. The USA winger’s lack of involvement since joining Chelsea has caused consternation among American fans but Lampard is trying to cool the hype around the 21-year-old.
“Everyone has a story,” he said. “Christian Pulisic has a price tag, Ross Barkley is an international, Mason Mount is an international. Callum Hudson-Odoi has just signed a new contract, Bayern Munich wanted to buy him last summer, he is an international. Ruben Loftus-Cheek will come back and be an international. I can’t pick them all. That’s not to make me sound like a hard taskmaster. That’s just a brutal reality of my job.”
Lampard was asked to expand on why Pulisic’s only appearance since the 2-2 draw with Sheffield United on 31 August came in last month’s EFL Cup win over Grimsby. “I spoke to him two days before the Grimsby game and was very clear about the standards,” he said. “We have to give him the fact he has moved country, moved leagues and is as young as all the young players we keep talking about. If anyone is getting too excited about this, they should calm down. He has started five games for us.”
Another winger hoping for more action is Hudson-Odoi, who has responded to Lampard’s criticism of his performance against Grimsby by coming off the bench to conjure important assists in the wins over Brighton and Lille.
“That has to continue,” Lampard said. “I have to speak in the real world when I speak to them. Sometimes as a manager you want more. Then you are honest and players have to react. Sometimes I have to make harsh decisions or say something that I think will help their game that might not sound that nice. Because I want them to be the best.”