Thomas Tuchel says Frank Lampard's legendary status at Chelsea is intact - despite him failing as their manager.
Tuchel goes up against the man he replaced when he takes his Chelsea side to Lampard's relegation-threatened Everton on Saturday. The Toffees have dropped into the bottom three after just two wins in their last eight Premier League, with their top-flight status now in serious danger.
Relegation with Everton would further damage Lampard's coaching reputation, after lasting just 17 months in charge at Stamford Bridge. But Tuchel insists Lampard will always be a Chelsea legend, with the midfielder still the club's all-time leading scorer with 211 goals. Tuchel revealed he received a good luck message from Lampard when he succeeded him 15 months ago and said he is looking forward to meeting him for the first time.
"We didn't have lunch, but he sent me a very kind message after I took over at Chelsea that meant a lot,” said Tuchel. "I was a huge fan of his as a player and he is - and will remain - a legend at our club; this is a given. I was very happy when he wrote me that message. We didn't have the chance to go out and have lunch and then he took the chance to go and take charge of Everton.
“He took an assistant from us, Joe Edwards, so we were not so happy. No, I'm just joking. We will meet some friendly faces at Goodison, with Joe and Ashley Cole and Frank, who I have never met in person. It's a very exciting week for me, I would love to meet him. We need the points, they need the points urgently as well.
“It's an exciting week for me personally. I love to play at Old Trafford and everybody tells me about the atmosphere at Goodison Park and how emotional and how tough it is to play there. These are two nice fixtures, what it's all about, I am excited to go there and we expect a tough fight.”
Tuchel, who will be without Mateo Kovacic and Callum Hudson-Odoi, admitted Saul Niguez is likely to leave Chelsea at the end of the season. Niguez, who joined Chelsea on loan from Atletico Madrid, has struggled to hold down a starting place and Tuchel conceded the midfielder has been unhappy with his lack of opportunities.
Tuchel said: “We'll talk about it at the end of the season. At the moment, it's a difficult situation for him personally, but I like that he still gives his input. It's like this in team sports - even if it doesn't make you happy - and I'm sure he's not - he's still positive and still pushing. It means a lot to me and the atmosphere in the dressing-room that he stays competitive within the group.
"I don’t have a lot of good news for him when I tell him the line-up, but he needs to stay involved, mentally and physically, and that's what he does, although it's not easy. It's for the end of the season, now is not the time, but we still need to fight for qualification for the Champions League and the best possible outcome.”
