Frank Lampard must follow the blueprint set by Liverpool and Manchester City if he is to be a success at Chelsea.
That's the verdict of former Chelsea defender Michael Duberry, who has backed the Blues legend to be a success at Stamford Bridge, despite his lack of experience in the Premier League as a manager.
And Duberry believes that is a challenge that the Blues' record goalscorer will relish as he looks to compete with the likes of Liverpool and champions Manchester City, who finished 25 and 26 points above Chelsea respectively last season.
"He’s got his ideas of football, he’s got to implement them. He’s going to try and put his coaching brains against some of the best coaches in the world, do it now! He’s not going to get that in the Championship. [The Premier League] is where he’s going to get it," Duberry told Love sport Radio .
"He’s had a year in the Championship, he’s got his squad [at Chelsea], he knows what he’s doing, and he’s got to get experience now.
Another challenge that Lampard faces at Chelsea is the prospect of not being able to sign players for the next two transfer windows, with the Blues currently subject to sanctions imposed by Fifa for breaching rules in relation to youth players.
However, Duberry says that he feels the arrival of Lampard will give the Blues a chance to build a model for future success - similar to Liverpool and Man City.
"I think it’s a chance as well to implement something that Liverpool and Man City have done," he said.
"They’ve got an in-house structure and they can build from that, and with Lamps there they can start building," he added.
"Once that transfer ban comes off, he can build even more - get some big marquee names in, and the infrastructure’s already in place."
