Monday 10 April 2017 07:51, UK
Frank Lampard was on Goals on Sunday to discuss a range of subjects around the past, present and future.
The Chelsea legend, who retired from the game in the summer, was probed by Ben and Kammy on the Premier League title race, his former team-mates and his England career.
From the current Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, to his time playing alongside Steven Gerrard, via his regret at not having won more Premier League titles, Lampard reveals all...
It's an incredible turnaround. What's really impressed me about the way they're playing is how they know their jobs. That system, people are now emulating it and playing three at the back. Chelsea do it brilliantly in all positions.
It's a really complete team, but you have to give the manager huge credit. I love his passion, Chelsea is my club and you love seeing someone on the line jumping up and down. And then after the game he doesn't give much away, he flips from being this really charismatic manager on the touchline to being quite savvy with the media.
For me there is a new maturity to him this year. Not just on the pitch, but off it too. He's doing more interviews, speaking more English, and I think that's important.
Last year there were times where I think he was so confident in his ability that he would beat someone twice in midfield, then beat them again and again. Now there is a real directness to his play. He's more efficient and is getting into more areas where he can make and score goals.
Is he happy? Well, yes and no, he's obviously not happy because we know what John is like, he wants to play, but I actually spoke to him a couple of days ago at the training ground. I said to him what a credit he is, the way he's been this year. With his age, and his stature at the club, he could either sit back, not travel and just look to the future, kick up and fuss or whatever.
But he's trained hard, all the time, and I know that from behind the scenes. He's travelled up north to game when he's injured or not in the squad, and I don't think you can underplay the influence John is having behind the scenes there this season.
He's been a real credit to himself this year.
Dele Alli is a special player. He's better than me when I was 20, that's for sure! He is like a second striker at the moment, but that makes sense with the way they play.
He scores goals like he did against Watford, but he's also in the six-yard box scoring. Too many attacking midfield players get to the penalty spot and stop, don't go that extra mile.
We talk about Hazard being the best player in the league, I don't think Dele Alli is that far away from him.
Could he score more than me? He could do. Of all the midfield players I've seen who scores goals, he's the one who is the best at it.
I like the way he's come in and tried to do his thing. The inconsistency I think they've shown is because it's quite a big message. It's a lot to ask to get them to do it straight away.
I think we'll judge him more next year, and I think at that point he'll have at least two or three different players in there. He is relentless, he doesn't change.
Next year, once he gets his players, I think we'll see the real Manchester City, and if he can replicate what he's done in his previous clubs, they will be great to watch.
I really like Slaven Bilic, he's an absolute gentleman and a talented manager as well. I think he's had a tough year.
I think West Ham's recruitment wasn't great last year, and the whole move to the stadium has been very difficult for all at the club. I'd like to see them stick with him and recruit better in the summer.
West Ham moved to the stadium in order to challenge for the European places, and I think they have to be real now, to go out and spend that money.
The one thing that annoys me is the number of Premier League titles. I was at Chelsea for 13 years and for 10 of those we were in contention.
From those 10 years, I think we should have had four or five. I think with the squad we have we could have earned more, I'm not complaining, but that's the little stickler for me.
It is improving. We were all guilty of playing down the MLS a few years ago because it isn't what it is here. But I think it's growing, and the influx of players there is helping.
There is a lot of young American talent out there, and I think it will only improve. I think they're getting their grassroots right, and they're competing against major sports out there by culture, but soccer is growing and will continue to grow.
[Did the talk drive you mad?] Yeah. It was every press conference. Understandably so, two very pivotal players for our clubs at the time, people looked at our performances there and said: 'Please can you do that for England?'
It didn't work out to be that simple at times. There were times where I didn't perform as well as I did for England as did for Chelsea. And there were times when you looked at the system, we carried on playing 4-4-2 for a long time, and you wonder if we could have adapted earlier.
I remember playing for England, even at tournaments, and we were outnumbered in midfield sometimes by lesser opponents, because they had three in midfield.
Sven tried to make it happen, and got criticised at times. Capello was a 4-4-2 man, and I ended up playing as part of a two in midfield for most of my England career. We were both not really in our roles.
Certainly that's the top night of my footballing career. As a club it was so special.
It was such a magical story, from the last 16 to the final. You couldn't write it. I was nervous for the game, but when Drogba headed in in the 88th minute I thought, maybe this is it.
I was so nervous in that game, I didn't enjoy that game one bit, I enjoyed the next three days!
I don't know about at Chelsea! That's their decision as much as mine! I'm going through the badges, and Chelsea are helping me with that. Obviously that would be my dream job, having been there as a player, but we'll see.
I'm really enjoying to the TV stuff now, it's a great way of blooding your way in anyway, analysing the game like you do. We'll see where the future goes from there.
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