Frank Lampard believes mentality of Italian coaches could bring him medal haul

04 August 2009 09:31
Lampard has spent the last 18 months under the tutelage of Capello with England, and having seen the rapid improvement of the national team is optimistic about what can be achieved under another Italian, Ancelotti, at Chelsea. English teams have often fallen at the final hurdle after failing to grapple with the psychological demands of elite football, but Lampard believes the gritty mental attitude of Italian football will rub off on England and Chelsea. "Most importantly they have the winning mentality," he said. "That's why they have won big trophies in their careers. 'Must win' is the only way for them and they don't accept slacking off in games or training. "Modern football is a lot about winning the ball back quickly and both managers train us to do that - it's a very Italian trait." The former West Ham player almost joined his former coach Jose Mourinho in Italy at Inter Milan last season, and is a keen admirer of the way the Italians play the game. And Lampard, renowned for his goal-scoring ability, has added a rugged determination to his game, that has allowed the England and Chelsea midfields to prosper. He puts this down to the Italian way: "They like to work hard and press the opposition when they've got the ball. They prioritise defending well right through the team," said Lampard. "One of the things we needed in English football was to learn the importance of being a difficult team to beat. That is the foundation stone and you build everything else on top."

Source: Telegraph