Frank Lampard looks ahead to Coventry City's upcoming Boxing Day clash with Plymouth Argyle 🎙️

Well, Frank, you've had 24 hours or so to digest what happened at Portsmouth. What's your view on that game now? Yes, similar to the feeling after the game. I think the first half was a competitive game. The two teams were a bit competitive from their point of view and mistakes, really, put us 2-1 down at half-time. No real problem with the first half other than that and some details. But the second half was the manner of the goals to change our performance. The reaction to that wasn't what we wanted it to be. So it's something we need to just deal with. These things happen and the most important thing is the reaction to them, I guess. I mean, that's what you're looking for now, clearly, is a response on Boxing Day, particularly to the second half performance at Cracken Park. Yes, I think every performance brings a different response. We beat Hull and played really well. That's great. Everyone's happy. But the response then is to go again. So this response is the same and the game will look different against Plymouth. We approach it in the right way, prepare in the right way. And, you know, we talk about responses, but we should have a certain approach in every game that is us. And when games turn and you become difficult for conditions or for the opposition, then also you have to deal with that. So that's just not a response for Plymouth. That'll be the way we want to be going forward. Defensively, particularly, pondering a few selection decisions, I would suggest, in the next couple of days? Yes, but defending is always a team issue. So you ponder decisions. We've been in for a short time, so limited training time, trying to see the players, see them in training has been difficult. So sometimes we're seeing things in games for good and for bad. So I'll ponder, especially in this busy period, we'll be looking to use the squad, as most teams will. Players that come in have to state their claim. And I know it's a team game, clearly. Brad Collins individually had a very difficult afternoon. How do you approach him now, moving forward? We have to support him, because it's a specific role in the team. As a goalkeeper, they sign up for that when they decide to be goalkeepers, or whatever age that they do. And we support him. And we've got competition in goal anyway. I knew that coming in. But our job is to support all the players and help them improve. And in difficult games, which everybody has, it's even more important that we do our job. Can I ask you, are you contemplating a changing goal? Are you prepared to say that? No. OK, right. And the reaction from the fans at the end, what did you make of that? I noticed you shot straight down the tunnel. Was that a decision? It was a decision, because my job sometimes is to think about what I need to say to the players. So that was obviously no disrespect to the fans. Sometimes we win and you're on the pitch and everyone's happy. Sometimes you lose and you can go to the fans as well. It's very important, I think, that the players go to the fans and appreciate their support. I certainly appreciate it, but I also have my job to do. So I think if fans are upset off the back of that second-half performance, then they're rightly so. And I've got absolutely no problem with that. They travelled brilliantly to support us and we have to respect that. And the players know, but as I say, my job is to deliver a good message to them off the back of performances like that. And that doesn't just happen straight after. It happens now in the interim to the next game. We've got full respect for the fans. All the players have. We understand what great fans have got. We want to play well for them. We want to give them results. In this league, that's not always possible. That's not just us. That's for most teams in the league who are fighting to find consistency. They'll come into a team like that. So there definitely shouldn't be an overreaction as far as I'm concerned. I just have to go, what's the next game? What's the next thing? What's the next challenge? That's it. Of course, the next challenge is Plymouth Argyle and somebody in the opposition dug out. You know extremely well from your playing career. Wayne Rooney, looking forward to it? Yeah, looking forward to it. I know Wayne well for many years now, obviously. And he's working there with the team. They've had some good performances, but maybe they haven't got what they feel like they deserve. That's for sure. I think we probably all feel like that sometimes. But yeah, full respect for him. And I look forward to seeing him. And what are your memories of playing alongside him for England? You did it for a lot of years, Frank, didn't you? Yeah, well, an absolute pleasure to play with him for England and against him. He was in the Premier League. Great. And England, great. His numbers and performances should never be understated because the level of player he was was incredible. And to see the work ethic behind it that he had as a player, to see the impact he had on teammates, to be in camps with him where you see what the person is as well as the player. He was amazing and is, I'm sure, very proud of his career because he was one of the all-time ones. He's had a tough time in management, hasn't he? Both at Birmingham and now at Plymouth. I won't say tough. I mean, I say it a lot, this word, but there's always a context to situations. And if you come into a job at Plymouth, what's the context? What's success for them? So to take on a challenge of a tough time, of a tough job, is something I'm very aware of. And Wayne will want and needs to be given time to show what he can do. And at Plymouth, if anyone expected them to be fighting for the automatic promotion, I'm not sure if there's a realism to that. So you work with what's in front of you. So unless you know what's going on behind the scenes in a job, I wouldn't comment or just say it was a tough time or a bad time. I think we work and you go through phases sometimes in teams where things are difficult and you carry on working to do the best. So it's a full credit to Wayne. There are some of us ex-pros that go into jobs and take jobs. You put yourself in the arena. Some, the majority maybe don't. So I've always got respect for that in itself. Statistically, they've got the worst defensive record in the division. They've conceded 45 goals. Now, clearly from your point of view, that's something you'll be looking to exploit. Yeah, I mean, you look at every team in their own way and you try and exploit what may be weaknesses. You're aware of their strengths. You've only got to look at the weekend where they trade with Middlesbrough, a very good team, and draw 3-3 and possibly feel like they might have won the game. So there's absolutely no over-complacency. We have to deal with them and respect them and give our best and have our confidence because we're at home. We are a good team and show it. And the CBS arena will be full. It's a sellout. Clearly, Boxing Day is a very traditional time of year for people to come out and watch football. But nevertheless, that's a fantastic thing for the ground to be sold out. You must appreciate the level of support that this football club's got. It's a big football club and it's got a really strong fan base who have also been through tough moments. And I've worked at clubs who have been through tough moments before and there's almost an extra determination and strength within the fan base. I appreciate that. So they're there to support us on Boxing Day. We have to energise them. We have to bring energy and passion as a baseline. And I guess that's probably what in the second half the other day, for whatever reason, it doesn't look or feel like that when you see it, but those games can come. But when we have a full house at home, we have to do our thing to make them enjoy their day. That's brilliant for me. All the best. Thank you very much. Frank, you may not know this, but there's no reason why you should, but do you know how many games you've played with Wayne at Carrington? Didn't it just be over 50 or so? I guess so. It's a lot of games, training camps and all those things. At that time, did you, back in the day, perhaps towards the end of your careers, did you talk about management? Did you know that Wayne was going to go into it? Did you talk to that? No, we didn't speak like that. We were close. We spent a lot of time together in camps. Wayne was a player that was sort of close to everybody. He used to sort of jump around all the groups, which was a beauty of him to bring a dressing room and a camp together as such. So I spent a lot of time with him, but we didn't know. I think as our careers went on, you meet at England, those few times a year as you start to get older. And I guess for me, my interest in management came in my thirties plus, and we never had those conversations. Just back to the Scud Blues. Have you needed to pick the lads up this week? I saw them yesterday, but it's the first time today. Do you think you're going to have to pick them up today? Or are they big enough and old enough to do that themselves? Not to do our job. My job is to react to every situation. And again, in this league where we are, and we've come in, I think, three weeks now, you have a job to do when you beat Hull 2-1 and play well. You have a job to do when you go to Portsmouth and lose. The way we did. So, you know, you always react off of that. Do the players have to be picked up? We'll see. I think we work together. We have to understand the things that we did wrong. That's our job, to see that. But also to understand the positives of the game, of the first half, what may have been the moments in the game that clearly changed it for us. And some are individual mistakes, which you can't legislate for, that happen. So there's a reaction to those, which is probably the main feeling of the game. But we've got together. We're a group now. This is it. We're all together. What they feel, I feel, and vice versa. So the only important thing is the next one in front of us. And as Saturday's performance, particularly the second half, has that brought into focus more sharply for yourself areas that perhaps you need help with come January? Not really. I think to react off one 45 minutes, I would say, would be reactionary. I think you're learning every day with the group. So that's not drastically changed my thought process.