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well fat Frank knows what's coming...
.Frank Lampard interview exclusive: Manchester City's team reminds me of the Chelsea side that won back to back titles
By Darren Lewis in Mirror Football Blog
Published 23:10 04/12/09
Recommend
.
Frank Lampard has already seen what happens when you give in to World Cup hype or Premier League hysteria.
Which is why, despite the outstanding players with whom he plies his trade both at Chelsea and England, he will not go overboard or rest on his laurels.
Last weekend's crushing win over Arsenal saw the Gunners players themselves leading the widespread consensus that the title is now Chelsea's to lose.
Indeed Carlo Ancelotti's men have a ruthless efficiency about them that proved the hallmark of Jose Mourinho's title-winning teams in 2004 and 2005.
Manchester City will be fearsome opponents this afternoon but Lampard told MirrorFootball: "This team has always been full of quality. There is a feeling that reminds me of the one we had in the years that we won it back it back.
"Back then there was a real determination, particularly in the first year and we have that feeling again of hunger.
"But, saying that, we probably had that feeling last year when we started really well then, when we lost a couple of games, we lost it.
"So its very important that we dont get carried away and think that feeling is something that happens naturally. It's something that we've got to work on as a group week-in, week-out and if individuals get sloppy on the training ground or in games it could go.
"I personally feel that the big danger in any sport, particularly football, is that when things are going great for you you stop the things that got you where you are.
"Especially in training and in games. I think if we are honest we did that a bit last year. We didn't stay together and that's why we lost.
"Football is a funny game. One day you can be invincible and feel you can beat anybody, the next you don't know where your next win is going to come from and that's something we have to guard against. I'm not saying its going to happen because it shouldn't do.
"Hopefully from last year's experience we can guard against that. Because that's what football can do. But at the moment if we can continue with this mindset we are going to be very strong all year round."
This afternoon's clash sees Chelsea travel to a City side aspiring to lift themselves to where the Blues' money has taken them.
Lampard believes that Mark Hughes's men will have to get used to the added pressure and expectation that bringing bigger and better players to the club brings.
He added: "I think their biggest problem is what we've found. It's that when you've got money everyone has a different feeling about you. When you come to town its a much bigger game and that's what other clubs are expecting.
"With Man City before, although they were a very big club, they never had that around them.Now, as we found, everyone wants to beat you and everyone wants you to get beaten. It's a situation that money can create.
"I don't think it's as cut throat as jealousy but there is certainly an envy to it. And its one of those things that everyone was envious about with us.
"But if you'd offered their clubs the money at the same time they would have bitten your hand off. So everybody wants to be in that situation.
"They want to see their team with big players and winning trophies. That's what we all are here for. But when you are actually the team that gets it everybody wants to bring you down a little bit.
"You have to grow strong to that and use it as a positive force. You have to really close in against it and understand.
"In another way Manchester United have had it for a number of years just purely through success. They have obviously spent fairly big money but the success that they have had and the club that they have become, everybody else wanted them to fail because that's how it is. So just as they have become used to it, we have become used to it.
"When you do lose a game people making it a mini-crisis when you've just lost one and drawn one. So you have to get a different mentality that deals with that.
"I'm sure Manchester City have got big players that have been around now. Players that are successful. Mark Hughes is a very experienced player who played at that edge,. So they know how to handle it but as a group its a small process."
When the two teams met last season Lampard, Ricardo Carvalho and Nicolas Anelka scored with Robinho grabbing the sole reply for City. But Lampard knows it will be a very different contest this afternoon - even though City's revamped backline does not include the man they really wanted, John Terry.
He went on: "I think they are a better team now than they were then. They have invested £100million-odd so that investment should produce results. They are stronger. They've got options going forward and you only have to look at their bench to see how much they have moved on.
"Robinho has just got fit again and he's not in the team. If you look at those options they are still very fresh and with these takeovers it takes a little bit of time to realise your ambitions.
"And a lot of it is different ambitions. When you are stuck in an ambition of being happy to be in mid-table or top-six at best, to then change the mentality to wanting to win the League and get in the Champions League takes a bit of a process.
"But in terms of the quality in the team and their ability to give anyone a good game on their day - especially in an attacking way - they will be a big danger to us if we are not on our game."
.Frank Lampard interview exclusive: Manchester City's team reminds me of the Chelsea side that won back to back titles
By Darren Lewis in Mirror Football Blog
Published 23:10 04/12/09
Recommend
.
Frank Lampard has already seen what happens when you give in to World Cup hype or Premier League hysteria.
Which is why, despite the outstanding players with whom he plies his trade both at Chelsea and England, he will not go overboard or rest on his laurels.
Last weekend's crushing win over Arsenal saw the Gunners players themselves leading the widespread consensus that the title is now Chelsea's to lose.
Indeed Carlo Ancelotti's men have a ruthless efficiency about them that proved the hallmark of Jose Mourinho's title-winning teams in 2004 and 2005.
Manchester City will be fearsome opponents this afternoon but Lampard told MirrorFootball: "This team has always been full of quality. There is a feeling that reminds me of the one we had in the years that we won it back it back.
"Back then there was a real determination, particularly in the first year and we have that feeling again of hunger.
"But, saying that, we probably had that feeling last year when we started really well then, when we lost a couple of games, we lost it.
"So its very important that we dont get carried away and think that feeling is something that happens naturally. It's something that we've got to work on as a group week-in, week-out and if individuals get sloppy on the training ground or in games it could go.
"I personally feel that the big danger in any sport, particularly football, is that when things are going great for you you stop the things that got you where you are.
"Especially in training and in games. I think if we are honest we did that a bit last year. We didn't stay together and that's why we lost.
"Football is a funny game. One day you can be invincible and feel you can beat anybody, the next you don't know where your next win is going to come from and that's something we have to guard against. I'm not saying its going to happen because it shouldn't do.
"Hopefully from last year's experience we can guard against that. Because that's what football can do. But at the moment if we can continue with this mindset we are going to be very strong all year round."
This afternoon's clash sees Chelsea travel to a City side aspiring to lift themselves to where the Blues' money has taken them.
Lampard believes that Mark Hughes's men will have to get used to the added pressure and expectation that bringing bigger and better players to the club brings.
He added: "I think their biggest problem is what we've found. It's that when you've got money everyone has a different feeling about you. When you come to town its a much bigger game and that's what other clubs are expecting.
"With Man City before, although they were a very big club, they never had that around them.Now, as we found, everyone wants to beat you and everyone wants you to get beaten. It's a situation that money can create.
"I don't think it's as cut throat as jealousy but there is certainly an envy to it. And its one of those things that everyone was envious about with us.
"But if you'd offered their clubs the money at the same time they would have bitten your hand off. So everybody wants to be in that situation.
"They want to see their team with big players and winning trophies. That's what we all are here for. But when you are actually the team that gets it everybody wants to bring you down a little bit.
"You have to grow strong to that and use it as a positive force. You have to really close in against it and understand.
"In another way Manchester United have had it for a number of years just purely through success. They have obviously spent fairly big money but the success that they have had and the club that they have become, everybody else wanted them to fail because that's how it is. So just as they have become used to it, we have become used to it.
"When you do lose a game people making it a mini-crisis when you've just lost one and drawn one. So you have to get a different mentality that deals with that.
"I'm sure Manchester City have got big players that have been around now. Players that are successful. Mark Hughes is a very experienced player who played at that edge,. So they know how to handle it but as a group its a small process."
When the two teams met last season Lampard, Ricardo Carvalho and Nicolas Anelka scored with Robinho grabbing the sole reply for City. But Lampard knows it will be a very different contest this afternoon - even though City's revamped backline does not include the man they really wanted, John Terry.
He went on: "I think they are a better team now than they were then. They have invested £100million-odd so that investment should produce results. They are stronger. They've got options going forward and you only have to look at their bench to see how much they have moved on.
"Robinho has just got fit again and he's not in the team. If you look at those options they are still very fresh and with these takeovers it takes a little bit of time to realise your ambitions.
"And a lot of it is different ambitions. When you are stuck in an ambition of being happy to be in mid-table or top-six at best, to then change the mentality to wanting to win the League and get in the Champions League takes a bit of a process.
"But in terms of the quality in the team and their ability to give anyone a good game on their day - especially in an attacking way - they will be a big danger to us if we are not on our game."