Lampard

FRANK LAMPARD has told England’s players that silence is golden if they want to earn a World Cup spot.

The former Three Lions great is advising Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad that mum’s the word when it comes to the German’s team selection.

4

4

The Three Lions’ chief has an array of attacking talent at his disposal and Lampard, who spent the majority of his 106-cap international career being shoehorned into a midfield with Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes, knows all about compromise.

And he suggested that keeping schtum worked for him — as he went on to score 29 international goals and played in three World Cups and one European Championship as part of the ‘golden generation’.

He said: “I just got on with it. You’re a professional, you get on with it — you are playing different ways, you respect the manager and you crack on. You can have your own opinions — but I tended to keep mine to myself and think about what could I do best if I was asked to play.

“The truth is, I never really played for England much like I played for Chelsea.

“There were times, like in 2004, when Sven-Goran Eriksson was there when I played at the top of a diamond — that wasn’t my ideal, either — but if you are representing your country and the manager’s got an idea, you just go with it.

“That was my story and it’s been documented and people talk about it many years later with a different view to how it felt at the time,

“They just sort of say, ‘It did work or it didn’t work’. Sometimes it did, sometimes it didn’t. But I’m not interested in that conversation.

“Personally, I got on with it, as did Stevie and Scholesy.”

BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK

Lampard is in a unique position to comment now he has crossed over to frontline management.

His Coventry side are sitting top of the Championship this season, having scored an impressive 27 goals this season as he attempts to orchestrate a return to the Premier League.

He believes that times may have changed and that Tuchel might  operate a more relaxed policy.

The German has plenty of options up front — all of whom will make a claim to start alongside skipper Harry Kane.

Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon, Eberechi Eze, Jarrod Bowen, Marcus Rashford and Ollie Watkins were all in the squad for the double header against Wales and Latvia.

But the likes of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish will all be wanting to board the plane to North America for the World Cup next summer.

There are only so many places in Tuchel’s starting XI — and Lampard added: “Now I’m a manager, I understand selection difficulties.

“I’ve had big squads at Chelsea. When I was first there, I went back and they had the 29 players — of which some were disgruntled — that’s another story.

“But in terms of trying to fit players in, you have to make tough decisions as a manager — you have  ideas, you have to work with the squad you’ve got and think, ‘What is the best?’ So that’s why I never really comment on what decisions other managers take because I don’t know the context, what they’re thinking and who and how they want to play.

4

4

“However, I do think it’s more common in the modern day for a conversation to be more open between player and manager.

“It goes manager by manager – some don’t want to talk and say, “This is the team, I’m the boss, you get on with it.’

“There are those who will have individual conversations, and then other people will open up to the group. That all depends on who’s in charge. And players react differently.

“I think there’s a balance to it. I think the players have to feel your authority and believe in what you’re doing.

“It’s not always an open conversation. Our job is to get that bit right. And our job is to be like that.

“But as a manager also, you want to have constant communication in that players feel that they can speak to you because you might find something that you didn’t know.

‘A DIFFERENT ANIMAL’

“England’s a bit of a different animal because you only turn up every now and again.

“At Chelsea, sometimes you’re playing at the weekend and through the week, and you’re training every day and the conversations are there throughout the year much more.” One chat with a great former Chelsea manager sticks in Lampard’s mind.

He added: “I remember once having a conversation with  Carlo Ancelotti about my position at Chelsea when he played a diamond formation.

“It didn’t feel really fluid, not just for me, but for the team.

“That was one of the beauties of Carlo, he would be very open with that chat and I’m not saying he changed his mind, but he was taking on information and then adapting around it.

“That’s why he’s one of the greatest managers, that’s his style — I think those things should be authentic.

“If you want to do your thing and you stick to your guns, you may  succeed or you may fail, that’s what you do. That’s one person’s approach.

“I am more open with my players to try to speak to them, because I want to get better. So every conversation I have with a player may help me, whether I agree with it or not.”

“In the end, the decision is mine — and then hopefully it works.”

Loose Women was pulled off air for the rest of the week as host Christine Lampard made an announcement at the end of the ITV show

Loose Women star Christine Lampard dropped a significant update at the end of the programme.

On Wednesday’s (July 9) episode of the popular ITV show, Christine joined panellists Coleen Nolan, Jane Moore, and Mariella Frostrup to discuss current affairs from the UK and beyond.

Yet, as the live show wrapped up, Christine delivered a key announcement about changes to the show’s schedule for the week.

The presenter announced to the audience and viewers at home that Loose Women would be taking a brief hiatus to accommodate ITV Racing: Live from Newmarket.

Christine made the unexpected revelation, stating: “That’s all we’ve got time for today and indeed the rest of the week because the racing is on.”, reports Belfast Live.

She then hinted at what fans can look forward to when Loose Women returns to our screens next week, adding: “But we’ve got some great stuff coming up for you including a catch up with Coleen’s brother Brian.

“Big Brother legend Brian Dowling and we’ll be celebrating Janet Street Porter 50 years on our screens, can you believe that? We’ll see you soon.”

Loose Women is set to make its comeback next Monday, July 14, at its regular slot of 12.30pm.

This follows an emotional moment on Tuesday’s (July 8) show where Denise Welch expressed her desire to “re-do” her son Matty Healy’s upbringing.

The 67 year old television personality has previously been candid about her struggles with addiction in her youth, and made the decision to become sober 13 years ago.

During a heartfelt conversation about living in the present, Denise was visibly moved as she admitted: “When you do reflect you have to forgive yourself for realising… I always get emotional because I wish that I could re-do bits of particularly Matty’s (Healy) childhood, because I was coping with addictions and self-medication..”

Tears welled up as Nadia consoled her, praising Denise as “the most proud, present mum”, prompting Denise to reply: “Matty and I talk about it, and we’re so close I just wish I could do it again”.

As Christine brought up Matty’s success headlining Glastonbury with his band The 1975, Denise expressed: “I’m incredibly proud, it’s just when I look at things, why couldn’t I? You know..”

Loose Women airs weekdays from 12.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX

CHRISTINE Lampard has given a rare glimpse of her children Patricia and Freddie during a luxury family holiday.

The Loose Women anchor and husband Frank, both 46, jetted to Dubai with little ones for half term.

3

3

3

And Christine – who keeps her children out of the spotlight – couldn’t resist giving fans a little glimpse inside their fun.

She posted a video montage from the break, showing Patricia, six, swimming while dressed as a mermaid.

The video also saw Freddie, four, copying his famous dad’s pose as they went out for dinner.

Posting the clip on Instagram, Christine wrote: “A half term dose of sunshine and mermaids.”

Frank is also dad to Luna, 19, and Isla, 17, from his relationship with Elen Rivas.

Christine and Frank tied the knot in 2015.

As well as her work on Loose Women, Christine often steps in for Lorraine Kelly on her chat show.

During a recent run as guest host, Christine interviewed Kate Ferdinand – and was quick to ask the former Towie star about life with a blended family and made a rare revelation about her own.

She said: “What do your two little ones think about the big ones in your household?

“Because I know my two little ones, their big sisters walk in, and it’s like god-like female creatures have walked into the house.”

FANS claimed Jamie Carragher “did a Frank Lampard” after Bruno Guimaraes gatecrashed a live interview.

The hilarious incident occurred after Newcastle beat Liverpool at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final.

4

4

Goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak sealed a 2-1 win for the Geordies as they sealed their first trophy in 70 years.

Newcastle fans partied into the night as they toasted the momentous occasion.

While players celebrated the historic win ahead of the international break.

After the final whistle, Toon scorers Burn and Isak joined Sky Sports to deliver their thoughts on the result.

But Burn was only midway through a sentence when there was a cheeky interruption from Guimaraes.

The midfield ace snuck up on Burn before bursting into a song and dance live on air.

It left host Mark Chapman and pundits Jamie Redknapp, Les Ferdinand and Shay Given in stitches.

However, final pundit Carragher appeared to experience a mix of emotions.

BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS

The Liverpool legend had already seen his former side dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain last week.

And he remained stony-faced as Isak and Burn celebrated Newcastle’s victory with Guimaraes right in front of him.

4

4

As the other pundits continued to laugh, Carragher then instantly cracked a grin before turning to look directly at the camera.

It led to many recalling the many memes of Chelsea hero and Coventry boss Lampard, who has gone viral several times for the ability to change his expression from jubilant to serious, and vice versa, in seconds.

One fan laughed: “Carragher doing the Lampard. He’s SEETHING.”

Another declared: “Will he still claim to love the Carabao Cup after Liverpool lost it?”

One noted: “Spent all that time hyping the Carabao, only to get schooled by Newcastle.”

Another added: “Tried to dress up his praise for Newcastle and was called out on it.”

FRANK LAMPARD has refused to comment after reportedly making a gesture towards Leeds fans on Wednesday night.

The Coventry boss watched his side fall to a 2-0 home defeat to the Championship leaders.

2

2

First-half goals from Joel Piroe and full-back Jayden Bogle gave Leeds a comfortable three points at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

It was Coventry’s first defeat in 10 matches and just the third since Lampard replaced Mark Robins at the end of November.

The ex-Chelsea star has history with Leeds from his time as Derby County boss.

Lampard led the Rams to a memorable 4-2 playoff victory at Elland Road in 2019, booking a place at Wembley.

It came among a Spygate controversy between the two sides, with Derby furious that then-Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa had allegedly sent a coach to snoop on training sessions.

Lampard got plenty of stick from the Leeds faithful following Wednesday’s loss, which sent Daniel Farke’s men five points clear of second-place Burnley.

Lampard appeared to make a gesture towards the jubilant away end following the final whistle.

According to LeedsLive, the 46-year-old cupped his ears to the away end and outstretched his fist.

BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS

While some fans on social media believed Lampard had referenced the Derby result with a “4-2 gesture.”

When asked about the incident post-match, Lampard said: “I don’t want to talk about that.”

Since leaving Derby in 2019, Lampard has enjoyed two spells with Chelsea and an ill-fated tenure at Everton.

The former England midfielder took 18 months away from the game after getting the axe at Goodison Park.

He has since hit the ground running with the Sky Blues, reigniting their playoff push after a poor start to the season.

Wednesday’s loss ended a run of four-straight wins, which had propelled Coventry into the top half of the table.

They currently sit 11th, but just 3 points behind West Brom in 6th.

Lampard heaped praise on Leeds after the 2-0 defeat, adding: “They’re a strong team. They’re top of the league for a reason.

“Lots of talent, lots of speed, well coached, good team, Premier League experience and I’m really impressed with them.

“Sometimes you have to praise a team that comes here and does well. There’s other teams up there but they’re in with a great chance.”

With all due respect to the rest of the division a couple of fixtures jump off the page in League Two affecting both ends of the table.

Walsall against Doncaster Rovers is top against third and with an unbeaten league run of 11 games including four wins on the bounce the Saddlers are going to take some stopping.

Nathan Lowe’s 10 league goals have drawn many admiring glances in the direction of the on-loan Stoke forward and it’s a worry for Walsall fans.

Given the form of his parent club it wouldn’t be a surprise if Lowe was recalled in January and thrust into a Championship relegation battle.

Doncaster ran out of puff in the play-offs last season after a record-breaking run to get into the post-season bun fight.

Tipped to go up this year they are living up to the billing albeit just two wins from the past seven games has found them stuttering more recently.

It will hardly be a relaxing Christmas Day for those involved with Carlisle United and Morecambe as the EFL’s bottom two meet while desperately trying to avoid slipping through the trapdoor into the National League.

Normally you will find managers attempting to downplay the significance of an isolated game but Carlisle boss Mike Williamson is almost playing up to it.

“I don’t need to quantify this game, it’s huge,” Williamson told BBC Radio Cumbria.

The Cumbrians know the pain of relegation from the EFL having experienced it back in 2004 while Morecambe are only in their 18th season after winning the play-offs in 2007.

Festive cheer might be hard to find for the losers at Brunton Park so probably best to wish everyone a Happy Christmas now!

You can follow all the EFL coverage on the BBC Sport website with dedicated live text services for the Championship and Leagues One and Two on Boxing Day.

THERE was a very dramatic moment on Lorraine this morning when an alarm sounded in the studio.

Stand-in host Christine Lampard was at the helm of ITV’s Lorraine today, with the Irish beauty tasked with halting the show when something unexpected happened.

3

3

3

Christine, 45, was forced to halt the show when an alarm sounded before she shouted out in panic.

“There’s an intruder in the building,” Christine shouted as the alarm sounded on the live programme.

But it was all planned and in good jest, with the segment focusing on what to watch on television over the festive season.

The panicked segment where Christine screamed out and an alarm sounded was followed by masked people walking out.

The masked people were in fact characters from Squid Game – a Netflix series about to release its second season.

Squid Game is a fictional South Korean Netflix series that sees hundreds of cash-strapped contestants accept an invitation to compete in children’s games for a tempting prize.

But despite the contestants playing innocent games such as Red Light, Gren Light, and Tug of War – the consequences for not winning are deadly.

The masked people in the series are known as the Masked Men, with the characters appearing on Lorraine this morning.

Appearing on the show to promote the new series, the Masked Men walked into the studio as Christine chatted about the new season which will drop onto Netflix on Boxing Day.

REASON FOR ALARM

The second season of Squid Game season will premiere on December 26, Boxing Day.

All seven episodes will be available to stream from launch.

Arsenal ready to buy Mohammed Kudus, Tottenham to rebuff Cristian Romero interest, Manchester United could offload Joshua Zirkzee, plus more.

Arsenal are ready to spend £83m (100m euros) on West Ham attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus with the 24-year-old Ghana international keen to join the Gunners to play European football. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Tottenham are set to rebuff Real Madrid’s renewed interest in 26-year-old Argentina defender Cristian Romero. (Football Insider), external

Manchester United are considering offloading 23-year-old Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkzee in January with clubs in Serie A monitoring developments. (Calciomercato – in Italian), external

Juventus are frontrunners in the battle to sign Canada striker Jonathan David, 24, from Lille with Manchester United, Liverpool and Inter Milan also interested. (Footmercato – in French), external

Manchester City have set their sights on AC Milan and France goalkeeper Mike Maignan, 29. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Borussia Dortmund are considering a January move for Sunderland’s 19-year-old English midfielder Jobe Bellingham. (Alan Nixon via Newcastle Chronicle), external

Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies is open to a reunion with former boss Hansi Flick at Barcelona despite interest in the 24-year-old Canada international from Real Madrid and Manchester United. (Teamtalk), external

France midfielder Paul Pogba, 31, is close to reaching an agreement to terminate his contract with Juventus and sign for another club as a free agent once his ban concludes. (Sky Sports), external

Germany winger Leroy Sane is keen to sign a contract at Bayern Munich but the 28-year-old is still some way from reaching agreement over a deal. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Former Spain defender Sergio Ramos, 38, will not make a return to Real Madrid but they will sign a centre-back in January, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Germany defender Jonathan Tah, 28, having emerged as a new candidate. (Diario AS – in Spanish), external

Scouts from home and abroad are following developments with Kiano Dyer at Chelsea as the English midfielder, 17, approaches the final year of his current contract. (Mail), external

England are poised to hold more talks during the international break over trying to add Chelsea goalkeeping coach Henrique Hilario to incoming head coach Thomas Tuchel’s backroom staff. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

David Moyes is eyeing a return to Premier League management with Crystal Palace, Wolves, Southampton and Leicester all potentially interested. (Talksport), external

Frank Lampard is a candidate for the vacant manager’s job at Championship side Coventry City. (Sky Sports), external