Frank Lampard claims he has had to learn man management from scratch in his four years as a coach - but will not be afraid to tackle any difficult issues with his Everton players.
The Toffees boss says he did not need these skills so much as a player because he only had to focus on his own game. He has been on a crash course in developing people skills since landing his first job at Derby in 2018.
Lampard headhunted the experienced Paul Clement to be his No. 2 at Everton when he took over in January and admits he leans on him a great deal when it comes to man management. “What some players don’t consider so much when they want to coach or manage is that you have to quickly learn the skills to work with people,” said the former Chelsea manager.
“You don’t need those so much as an individual player. The more you can communicate and understand the best way to motivate and manage individual situations and bring people together in one direction, the quicker the football stuff has a chance of going well.
“I’d done the football things all my life, but I’d not managed people. Paul Clement has made it so easy for me. I have huge respect for him and have no problem tapping into his experience as a manager after working with Carlo Ancelotti for so long. He can help me, sometimes guide me on a decision because of something he says. I have no ego in that respect. You have to keep working on those people skills and consistently try to get better.”
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Lampard says he tries not to be a teacup thrower and feels it is important to be positive with his players. He always tried to encourage Everton during their nerve-shredding relegation fight, although sometimes he did have to tell them some home truths. “It’s important, if you’re going to get people in the best place, to be positive with them,” he told Everton’s website. “In the modern day, I don’t think heavy sticks or negativity work so well.
“I have to work with them every day, which is a pleasure, and I want them to understand they have my support. I can say a lot of things behind closed doors, but if I talk about them out loud, I want to support them. Players do not want to make mistakes or do the wrong things. The only thing I would call out, is if people are not doing the basics - work ethic and respecting the club and their team-mates.”
Lampard, 43, claims coaches never stop learning, no matter how experienced they are. He added: “My first job at Derby was so fresh in coaching and managerial terms and the most important things were to always be really open to getting better and to learn from every situation. There’s nothing wrong with saying you’re always evolving and learning. Not just because I’m a young coach, you should do it all the time.”
