Lampard realistic but determined to lead Chelsea to more glory as manager. AGAIN The new Chelsea manager says there were “honest conversations” rather than Luiz going on strike but it was also pretty clear that there were no guarantees he would play.
“It’s easy to lose sight of the fact the club came third last year – the players came third, the management – and won the Europa League so they are used to being up there and competing,” said Lampard.
“And I don’t want, and I said this to the players the first time I spoke to them, talk of the ban, I don’t want talk of what is success, what might be success and any lowering of standards.
“I want to set out as we should do. And when I looked around the room I was looking at top players everywhere, and a big squad full of quality.
“This is where it really begins. We had a good pre-season and now the real stuff is coming, you can feel it in the air. I’m excited and the players are excited and now we have to deliver.”
But, again, Lampard refuses to say that they are just aiming for a place in the top four because that was never him as a player and nor will it be him as a manager.
Lampard said: “We will aim to win and of course this club wants to be in Champions League football every year. We managed to do that last year and I would love to be able to do that again for us.
Lampard added: “We are all driven in different ways. I used to hate being subbed, I used to hate being dropped. I was terrible. I wouldn’t want to manage myself in certain ways!
“I did it purely as a football decision. That was on both sides. It was not only the way I see things but the way David was seeing things. I was once that 32 year old and I left here at 35. It was slightly different but I wanted honesty and respect.
“It went both ways. We are also big characters so when we do talk, then it is serious. We don’t beat around the bush, we got to the point pretty quickly and that was it.”
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