Source: Daily_Mail
England star Lampard wary of facing potential World Cup 'Group of Death'
Goal machine: Lampard has scored 20 goals for England[LNB]Frank Lampard will watch Friday's World Cup draw with a mix of nervous anticipation and excitement in the hope England can avoid a so-called 'Group of Death'. [LNB]The Three Lions' position as one of the competition's top eight seeds has slightly smoothed the path from group to knockout stage, but there still exists the possibility of the Three Lions facing the likes of the Ivory Coast and France or Portugal.[LNB]'There's normally one Group of Death at every World Cup draw and I bet this one will be no different,' Lampard said. 'So while it's great to be seeded we could still draw Ivory Coast and then Portugal or France. That would be a Group of Death for sure. It would focus the mind all right.[LNB]'All the England players' minds will be concentrated on the draw. There'll be the excitement of knowing who you will be facing and, hopefully, the relief of having avoided all the dangerous sides and dark horses.'[LNB]Chelsea star Lampard is particularly keen on avoiding the planet's top sides in the group stages as he looks for an immediate chance to exorcise the ghosts of a miserable tournament in 2006. [LNB]The midfielder was much maligned by media and fans alike for failing to find the net in five games, including a miss in the penalty-shootout against Portugal. It was just one a string of disappointing sub-plots to England's failure to progress beyond the Quarter-Finals of major tournament once again. [LNB] Down and out: Lampard endured a torrid time in front of goal at World Cup 2006[LNB]'I can honestly say I didn't enjoy that World Cup one bit, I got absolutely pelted afterwards,' Lampard said. 'I still remember the jibes and the headlines but I had no choice but to take it all on the chin, shrug my shoulders and say 'fair enough'.[LNB]'I started getting stick from some England fans - they picked up on all the World Cup flop talk. It was tough to take but I've come through and it just makes this time all the more exciting and me all the more determined to succeed.'[LNB]'There was a lot expected of me before the last World Cup as I was top scorer in qualification. It didn't go well at all. 'There's always time in a season when you have a barren spell - my tough luck was to endure it during the World Cup finals.[LNB] Paying the penalty: The usually reliable spot-kicker was one of three players to miss in the Quarter-Final defeat against Portugal[LNB]'I had five games in Germany and just couldn't score. I think I tried too hard, was too desperate to succeed. I got into good positions and had plenty of shots and overall I think my performances were pretty good.[LNB]'The problem is, people do judge me as a goalscorer - I suppose I have made a rod for my own back. I've always scored regularly and people expect you to carry on scoring.[LNB]'But there are plenty of midfielders who don't get judged the same because they don't score the goals that I do. Even now I still look back and think what might have been.'[LNB] FA can expect to make £10m profit if Capello masterminds England winBring it on: England can beat the best in the world, say Fabio Capello and David BeckhamFizzing Fabio gets taste for the big show as England prepare for drawCOMPETITION: Win a shirt signed by Real star Ronaldo or Barca's Messi [LNB] Explore more:People:Frank LampardPlaces:France, United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal
