Frank Lampard has given insight into just how demanding it is to be a football manager, report the BBC.
Lampard took the reins at Derby County back in the 2018/19 campaign, jumping in at the deep end when it comes to management.
The EFL Championship can prove to be one of the most unforgiving leagues in the world, with Derby’s fortunes not exactly being favourable in the years prior to his appointment.
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Nonetheless, Lampard took Derby to the playoff final at Wembley, narrowly missing out on promotion to the Premier League, before replacing Maurizio Sarri as Chelsea manager – where he currently occupies the dugout.
Lampard has been on both sides of the equation, player and manager, but he’s in no doubt in regards to which is the more demanding of the two. The Chelsea club legend is quoted by the BBC saying:
“The facts and reality is I realise now it’s much harder than playing in terms of it being consuming. The life of a manager is 25 people in the squad, staff in the building, problems with different departments. It’s so far removed from football.”
“When you work for your coaching badges, you have to put time in. Then when you start doing it, you have to practise, you have to fail, get better, fail and have relationships with people you never had as a player.”
“Players can easily sit there and say they want to be a manager, then they start the road and say: ‘Actually, I want to be a pundit.’ I respect it because being a pundit is tough as well but in terms of management I wanted to test the water.”
“A manager gets 50 problems a day. It’s much more consuming but I love it and couldn’t live without it.”
Punditry does come with it’s own challenges, but the pressure’s off. You give your opinion on the game, go home and get in bed.
In management, you’re constantly in the firing line, presumably unable to switch off throughout the season and all the responsibility for the results, good or bad, falls on you.
Of course, management is a lot more rewarding if you get it right, but it’s the minority who are able to win the honours available at the level Lampard is competing at. I know which one I’d rather do…
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