Manchester United’s improvement this season is built on fundamentals like good discipline that have been implemented by Erik ten Hag, according to Frank Lampard.
United have secured a place in next season’s Champions League following their comfortable 4-1 win over Chelsea on Thursday night. They have already won the Carabao Cup – their first trophy in six years – and could win another in the FA Cup final against Manchester City next weekend.
The gulf in class between United and Chelsea was clear at Old Trafford, with Lampard’s side missing a glut of chances at one end and capitulating at the other. Lampard was furious with his team’s performance and his praise of the opponents lays bare the contrast between the two sides.
"I think it is really hard to compare, really tough, it is not for me to analyse where Manchester United are and where they were," he said when asked whether the next Chelsea boss could take inspiration from the turnaround Ten Hag has overseen at United.
"They have got fantastic players, [Marcus] Rashford scored 30 goals, [Raphael] Varane, [Bruno] Fernandes, bring Casemiro in. There are a lot of factors so you be optimistic. We should look for plusses but I don’t think it is one to compare because every situation is different and we have to go step by step to look at the big picture.
"I am not taking anything away from the job Erik has done but there has to be basics, there has to be fundamentals. I remember when Ten Hag first came people were talking about discipline and fines and setting the standard. Those things are where this club has had a positive upturn."
HAVE YOUR SAY! What have you made of Manchester United under Erik ten Hag? Comment below.
Lampard’s praise of United came as a stark contrast to his words for Chelsea, who he will take charge of for the final time against Newcastle this weekend before Mauricio Pochettino takes over.
“It’s a simple thing to say but any team that wins in the Premier League has them as a base, because without them the tactics do not matter,” he told Sky Sports. “Training well every day, trying to improve, being a real collective unit.
“There are some variables for the players, everyone talks about the big squad and I understand that it’s hard for the coaches this year at the club – I get it because I’ve lived that for nine league games now. Sometimes you can say that is maybe a factor – if you want to call it an excuse – but as a player you have to put that to the side and focus on your own game.
“Since I’ve been in I’ve understood quickly that some of the collective standards – and it’s for the individuals within that to realise who they are – this is not a blanket, we just have to find the reasons for why the club is where it’s at, and there are many.
“It’s not just finger-pointing at the players because it’s definitely not a lack of effort this evening, but you build up the credit through your training and your prep, and you build up a resilience.”
