Frank Lampard sets his season aim with Derby County
Frank Lampard has stressed that Derby County will be aiming for promotion during his maiden season in management. The Chelsea great was handed the head coach position at the end of the previous month and he has since been away on media duties for the ongoing World Cup finals in Russia.
Despite this, Lampard is quite clear about his ambition for next season and he is hoping to guide the club to promotion at the first time of asking. He told The Derby Telegraph: “From the first day of pre-season, my aim when I talk to the squad is that we want to be successful, and that means promotion. I am not saying we will get there, but it has to be the aim at the start of the season. I’m here to succeed and be competitive, that’s something I’ve had in my career, fortunately, from being in very strong teams. At the start of the season, our aim was always to be the best we can be. Normally, that was winning titles.”
The fixtures for the 2018/19 Championship season are expected to be released next week and Lampard can expect to tackle opposition whom he may have never encountered during his time as a Premier League footballer. Not every great player has successfully transformed into a top head coach but Lampard now has the opportunity to succeed in a new phase of his career.
Similarly to Lampard, compatriot Steven Gerrard has taken up the job with Rangers in the Scottish Premiership and the pair are likely to be monitored closely by the media through the campaign. Unlike Lampard, Gerrard has already done some of Rangers’ transfer business and their season begins with a Europa League first qualifying round tie next month. The Glasgow outfit will know their opponents following the draw next week.