Frank Lampard has had an excellent start to life as Chelsea manager.
The former England midfielder had only been in coaching a year with Derby County but the chance of returning to a former club that needed the spirit restoring to it after a turbulent year under Maurizio Sarri was too much to turn down. Savaged by former after an opening 4-0 defeat for naivety in losing to United, the response of Lampard and his team has been emphatic and he returns to another former employer on Saturday looking down on the Premier League champions .
Guardiola has seen it all before.
Derby County are not quite Barcelona B and Chelsea are not Barcelona but they are similar enough for the comparison to hold. While Lampard has an awfully long way to go on the road Guardiola has travelled, the City manager reminisced warmly about the freedom that comes at the beginning of the journey when critics have such low expectations that every victory feels particularly sweet.
"In those terms it is quite similar. You could say a little bit but it is too early. He has been a manager for a year-and-a-half and I am a little longer because I am a little older than him but he has his future in his hands," he said.
"From my experience, experience doesn’t count much. I would say that when you know the club it is a good advantage and Frank Lampard knows Chelsea perfectly and everything behind the scenes - media, fans, players - so that is good. When I arrived [at Barcelona] not many people trusted me, honestly. Few, few people. Maybe the president, sporting director and not many [others].
"Maybe Frank was similar at Derby. It was a big club, he didn’t take results in the beginning and people said he didn’t have experience. Look now.
"At the start when nobody trusts you it is perfect because you win every game - you cannot lose more. The problem is when you have to defend titles and what you have done in your career and nothing is enough.
"In Frank's case or when I came and nobody trusts you, it is perfect, an ideal situation. When young coaches take over at big clubs it is normal for people to have doubts. At the big clubs you have incredible players so it is easier to do a good job in Chelsea or Barcelona than another club. If you work a lot and have patience, the results and success can come."
