Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer has insisted that Frank Lampard still has a lot to prove at Chelsea, ahead of the Reds' visit to Stamford Bridge, and does not believe that he was a success at Derby County last season.
Lampard’s first season as manager saw him finishing in the top six of the Championship at Derby, but the Rams then went on to lose the playoff final against Aston Villa.
Following a year at Pride Park, Lampard was handed the Chelsea job, but McAteer does not feel his one year at Derby can be termed a success as he failed to earn promotion despite having a healthy budget.
Looking at Chelsea ahead of Liverpool's visit to Stamford Bridge this weekend, Lampard said on LFC TV following the Napoli game: “He only had one season as Derby manager. Would you say he was a success?
“Probably not because he had a pretty decent budget and the aim was to get them up, and he didn't do that.”
The former Liverpool midfielder believes Lampard has taken a tough job at Chelsea a little too early in his managerial career and has it all to do at Stamford Bridge.
McAteer thinks Lampard did stamp his authority at the club by offloading David Luiz to Arsenal, but cautioned that the Chelsea job is about handling big egos.
“We'll have to wait and see, but I always thought it [the Chelsea job] would be a tough ask because of the personalities in that dressing room.
“He put out that he was in charge and wasn't going to take any messing when he got rid of David Luiz.
“But you've got to keep a lot of egos happy at that football club and I think that will be the big test for Frank Lampard.”
Lampard will be hoping to get Chelsea back to winning ways when they play host to Liverpool this weekend, but the Reds head into the Premier League games with a 100 per cent record in the league.
