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Gary Neville | 'Lampard & co were ringing around to get AVB sacked'

Gary Neville believes that Frank Lampard is now feeling the other side of players being unhappy w...



Gary Neville | 'Lampard & co w...
Soccer

Gary Neville | 'Lampard & co were ringing around to get AVB sacked'

Gary Neville believes that Frank Lampard is now feeling the other side of players being unhappy with their manager, following his sacking at Chelsea.

Neville spoke on The Gary Neville Podcast on Sky Sports, after Sunday's Premier League action, and gave an illuminating insight into Lampard the player.

Gary Neville on Lampard

Neville believes that Lampard was part of a cohort of Chelsea players that tried to oust former manager Andre Villas-Boas from  his first and only season in charge.

"You can't be surprised at Chelsea. I would go back to that game in Napoli eight or nine years ago, where Villas-Boas had picked a team in the afternoon for the Champions League game.

"I think he left out Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and another big player at that time. I remember the Chelsea players at that time ringing up members of the media trying to get him out - Frank was part of that group.

"It has really been a brutal football club for managers for many, many years and Frank suffered that brutality last week. He should be the least surprised - he has been at the club when Villas-Boas was sacked, Scolari, and all the rest of them that have come and gone."

Experience

Neville is backing Lampard to come back stronger for the experience and says that he should not be surprised by the decision.

"He'll be hurt and he'll be disappointed but I hope he is pragmatic about it in the sense that it is not a reflection on him. Every manager gets the sack before they probably think they should; they don't get the time that they think they should.

"That is what happens, it is a club that has a model that has worked. He knows that model. I never shed a tear for Frank the other day.

"Sometimes I feel really sorry for managers but I feel that Frank has had a massive experience. He had a great experience at Derby and a great experience at Chelsea. Where he is at in his managerial career is further ahead than most English managers have been. That is a real positive.

"His next job, he'll have more experience, more ideas, different ways of dealing with people. We have got to try and build up young managers' experiences so they can get to the level of Jurgen Klopp, Guardiola or these exceptional coaches.

"Frank has got to make sure that the next club he picks is a good one. That is the key for Frank Lampard.

"It is harsh, but it isn't harsh at Chelsea because that's what Chelsea do."

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Chelsea Lampard Neville