Frank Lampard has had a go at television pundits for taking the easy route and analysing football in hindsight, rather than take on the challenge of being a manager.
Chelsea boss Lampard has come in for criticism for his management for the first time in his short career to date for the Blues' recent poor run of form.
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The team have won just one of their previous seven games in all competitions and the 3-1 loss to Manchester City last week caused many to question the 42-year-old's future as manager.
That defeat caused Roy Keane, sat in the Sky Sports studio, to question how much time Lampard would be given and whether he had the experience to compete, saying, "I don't think Frank's going to get much time. There's huge pressure this year, you have to give players time to settle coming from foreign countries.
"Last year he had a free pass, but they've spent money and it brings added pressures, no matter who the manager is.
"He's new to it. He's 42 years of age. Klopp came from Dortmund and won big prizes over there. He's up against all these managers - Ancelotti, Mourinho, Guardiola. These guys have got CVs behind them. He won't get the time Klopp got."
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But the former Derby County boss, who spent one year in the Championship before getting his break in the top tier, isn't impressed with Keane and others who choose to be in the pundit's seat on television.
"If I didn't want that challenge I could have sat on the telly and done an easier job," the former Manchester City midfielder said.
"I could have been a pundit, commenting on what everyone does with hindsight, whenever I want, and I don't want to do that.
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"I'm very confident in what I do, whether people think I've been a manager for two-and-a-half years, or whatever. I've been playing football since I could walk. I've been playing professionally for 20-odd years.
"I want to win games. I don't like losing games. On Monday, I was disappointed because we lost to a team that was better than us on the day. On Tuesday, I woke up determined to get better and win our next game. That's the way I see it."
There's also been talk of some sort of split in the dressing room, following Lampard's criticism of his players, with some liking the boss and some not too happy with him.
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The club's all time top scorer responded to those claims too, adding, "Players who are not playing will not be happy. We have a big squad and there are some players not playing.
"I don't ask for them to be jumping up and down about how great I am. All I ask is that they train well, back their team-mates and have a determined attitude every day. That's it.
"I don't expect it to be a popularity contest for myself. I never felt that in the dressing room under any manager, at the best of times or in tough times. The point is players have to keep fighting.
"We do not have the experience or stability of other clubs who have been doing it for the last two or three years. There will be bumpy moments. What we have to stick together."
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Can Lampard turn things around at Stamford Bridge or is Keane correct about the manager's time being nearly up?
Featured Image Credit: PATopics:Β Frank Lampard, Football News, Chelsea, Premier League, FA Cup
