The Blues’ assistant manager does not think the former midfielder will pull any punches if he feels his players need to step up their game
Frank Lampard is not scared of being the “bad cop” when Chelsea’s players need to be told an unpleasant truth, according to assistant manager Jody Morris.
Morris was Lampard’s assistant last season at Derby, and followed him to Stamford Bridge over the summer.
An under-the-weather Lampard was absent from the pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup fixture at home to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, and Morris was asked about how the pair work together.
“We are different personalities, but there have certainly been moments when he’s 100 per cent the bad cop,” Morris said.
“Maybe I’m just a bit more of a moody face than he is on the touchline!
“I think there’s elements where things need to be said, and 99 per cent of the time it’s him that says it.
“You have to take the players individually at times when you have to weigh up how you would treat them and I certainly know the manager does that.
“He has close relationships with some of them. But if he has to give some of them a kick up the backside, he has no problem doing it.”
After Lampard’s brilliant start to life at the helm at Stamford Bridge, things have been more of a struggle for Chelsea in recent weeks.
The Blues have beaten Tottenham and Arsenal, but also dropped points against Brighton, Bournemouth, Everton and Southampton.
Morris admits that things haven’t been ideal – but that the perfectionist Lampard is always looking for ways to improve, whatever the results.
“The results would maybe point towards it being his first test as a manager,” said Morris.
“But we’ve had moments when we’ve been winning games where we’ve been just as frustrated.
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“And he’s one of those that he lives and breathes it. Last night we were getting text messages about ‘look at this, look at that’.
“He’s passionate about improving players, he’s passionate about winning. But it’s not just the results that might push him to being frustrated.
“I remember spells at Derby where we were winning games but certain things we were asking for weren’t being carried out.
“He’s a deep thinker and he wants to come up with ways to help players individually and as a group.”