FRANK LAMPARD REFUSED to indulge speculation he could become Chelsea’s new manager following Derby County’s Championship play-off final defeat to Aston Villa.
Blues legend Lampard has been heavily linked with a return to Stamford Bridge to replace Maurizio Sarri, who has been tipped for the Juventus job following Massimiliano Allegri’s surprise departure.
Lampard, whose first season as a manager ended in disappointment with a 2-1 defeat to Villa at Wembley, would not be drawn on the speculation and says he will speak to Rams owner Mel Morris in the coming days about his future.
“I’m not interested in the speculation,” he said. “I’ll sit down with Mel Morris over the next few days. I’ve got a two-year contract and I love working here.
“After my first year and the opportunity this club gave me it’s massively important that everyone understands that is my overriding feeling.
“So that’s where I am. I’ll go away tonight and have a couple of beers with the lads and the staff, and afterwards we’ll talk about where we go forward.”
Following his side’s Wempley defeat, Lampard described his players as “gutted”, but insisted he is proud of what his squad have achieved since he joined the club in May last year.
“They’re gutted because they wanted it so much, as you should,” he said. “But when a group get on as well as they did and when a group have dragged themselves through with youth and players in the last year of their contracts you’ve got a real mixture.
“They’ve managed to get this far and I’m just proud.”
Gavan Casey is joined by Murray Kinsella and Sean Farrell for a review of the 2018/19 season, and cast an eye forward to next year and the Rugby World Cup in Japan.:
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:
Dunno about anyone else but all this extreme confidence talk, and slight arrogance/expectancy of a guaranteed result is killing me. Sure, Wales got the rub of the green on more than a few occasions since Pivac took over, and probably haven’t played as attractively as they did under Gats – but write them off at your peril. Sure they’re blighted with injuries, but this stuff, and the likes of Rob Kearney saying he can see a comfortable win just plays into their hands – free motivation. Really would’ve expected better from people who know how cute Wales can be when in the long grass. WalesOnline spreading all this talk across the Irish sea too…
@Ultan Corcoran: spot on, wales never lose by much and area always a tough game. Can’t see this being more then 5 or 6 points either way
@Ultan Corcoran: You’re right. But this is lining up to be such a mismatch, if we cannot beat this Wales team by 10 to 15 minimum, then we aren’t where we thought we were at all.
@Dara: Yeah, feel the same way myself! No more than a score or converted try in it.
@Eoin Roche: I get what you’re saying but it’s a lot to beat a usually very consistent side by.. nonetheless I hope you’re right! Just Wales love nothing more than a big upset.
@Ultan Corcoran: totally agree with you. It’s very poor from ex internationals
@Dara: we beat them 32-9 the last time they came to Dublin. The time before that we beat them 24-14 and 7 of their points came in extra time. On the 80 it was 24-7. Both times Pivac and Farrell were in charge. Since then we’ve kicked on. I’m not sure they have.
If Wales have to play for 80 minutes against 15 players they’ve no chance.
@Paul Harvey: That’s a seemingly very big if!
@Scott Campbell: How?
@Paul Harvey: So you’re saying there’s a chance…
@Eoghan Quinn: yeah, if Murray starts Wales have an even better chance
@Scott Campbell: nah, Peyper is the ref. He has a scary disregard for player welfare.
1.Wyn Jones 2.Ryan Elias 3.Tomas Francis 4.Adam Beard 5.Will Rowlands 6.Ellis Jenkins 7.Taine Basham 8.Aaron Wainwright 9.Tomos Williams 10.Dan Biggar 11.Josh Adams’s 12.Nick Tompkins 13.Jonathan Davies 14.Louis Rees-Zammit 15.Liam Williams.
That’s still a very strong Welsh squad but the way our forwards are playing particularly the front row & backrow & Sexton on form I think we’ll come away with a win.
@Harry O’Callaghan: 16.Bradley Roberts 17.Rhys Carré 18.Leon Brown 19.Seb Davies 20.Ross Moriarty 21.Gareth Davies 22.Gareth Anscombe 23.Uilisi Halaholo.
Ireland bench: 16.Dan Sheehan 17.Cian Healy 18.Finlay Bealham 19.Ian Henderson 20.Peter O’Mahony 21.Conor Murray 22.Joey Carbery/Jack Carty 23.Keith Earls/Andrew Conway/Robert Baloucoune.
Much stronger Irish bench.
Wales were never going to win last time around.
Hopefully the OMG! reactions by the Referee/TMO Cabal that ruined last year’s 6 Nations have matured into keeping players on the pitch.
Good Luck to every team taking part. Thank God its not a Lions year and I can shout at the telly louder!
Why are Ireland such strong favorites? Because we are uniquely delusional supporters, especially before this most unpredictable of tournaments. Only Scots cousins are reliably dafter. Home advantage is huge, but we don’t know how either side will be on the (first) day. After France away, we will know more. Do we often both start and finish well in tournaments? Maybe really good years. I’d love a really good 2023 with RWC in there.