'Transfer ban a blessing in disguise' - Lampard told to keep young players

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has been urged to avoid the temptation to splash the cash when the club’s transfer embargo ends next summer by former Blues defender Wayne Bridge.

“It looks like it was a blessing in disguise for Frank that he couldn’t sign players because the young lads have been doing so well and I hope the club stand by them for the long term,” Bridge told us as he promoted the Walking With The Wounded charity.

“Some people were surprised when Frank got the Chelsea job last summer, but it was a no brainer for me. They were on a transfer ban, so could they really bring in an expensive foreign manager and expect him to produce miracles? Probably not.

“What they did with Frank is appoint someone who knows the club and knew the quality of the young players who were already on the books at Chelsea. The club have not gone down the route of bringing on young players in recent years, so this is something very different and it’s working.

“Everyone is enjoying what Lamps and his assistant Jody Morris are doing and I’d hope they continue with this policy when the transfer embargo is done with and they can sign players again.

“We are seeing a different Chelsea this season and the fans are loving it. Now we are all asking what can they achieve? They are in a great spot right now and maybe they can get in the mix to challenge for trophies.

“If Liverpool slip up at the top, Chelsea are not too far behind them, so there is every reason to believe they can finish the season successfully.”

While Bridge admits he is surprised to see Lampard in such a high-profile management role at the start of his coaching career, he believes the mentality that brought him so much success during a decorated playing career will stand him in good stead as a manager.

“I don’t know if I expected him to be a manager because when you are playing alongside someone, it’s hard to predict who can make that transition,” stated the former full-back, who won the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup during his time at Chelsea.

“He was one of those players who lived and breathed football, which is not the case for every player. The surprise is that he has been given a chance to get the job at Chelsea, as have Steven Gerrard at Rangers and Scott Parker at Fulham. It’s great to see and I hope they all make a success of it.

“What Lamps has always been is a leader and those qualities are shining through now that he is in his new role. He was always a model professional. He was one of those players who would stay on and do extra training, shooting and crossing every day. That incredible goal-scoring record he has at Chelsea is due, in part, to the hours he put in to get the best out of his career and at the start, a lot of people told him he would never make it.

“I think that inspired him to prove a few people wrong and, if the young lads working under him at Chelsea now follow that example, it will stand them in good stead. He was talented as a player, but he was also a grafter and that is why he got so much out of his career.

“He is Mr Chelsea and will know the staff from top to bottom. He’ll know the ticket ladies, the chefs at the training ground and he must have walked in there on the first day and thought, ‘yes, this is home for me’.

“He was also always going to get the backing of the fans, even if things didn’t go well at the start. Everyone wants Frank to do well and that is a massive plus point for any manager.

“I’m buzzing for Lamps and Jody and I can’t wait to see where they can take it this season. If they could finish in the top four and challenge for trophies, that would be beyond most of the expectations set for them when they took over.”

Bridge also insisted suggestions that Pep Guardiola has lost his way at Manchester City are wide of the mark, as two of his former clubs prepare to meet at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

"Clearly things have not been going City's way this season, but Guardiola is still a great manager and they are still a great team," added Bridge. "They still play amazing football, but defensively there are some problems there now.

"You can see Guardiola's passion after they lost at Anfield a couple of weeks back and it shows he is still desperate to do well there, even after winning everything in England last season.

"If Liverpool lose a couple of games, City are right back in the title race, so you can't write them off after 12 games."

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