Chelsea FC’s Frank Lampard Thinks “Fear Factor” Will Motivate England
Chelsea FC midfielder Frank Lampard thinks that the “fear factor” of leaving the World Cup early will motivate England to make it past the group stage. Lampard told the Mirror that it was a fear of getting knocked out early in Euro 2004 that kept England from losing their second game. He made sure to reiterate that it was not a negative fear, but a positive one that motivated them.
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Frank Lampard has been a member of several England squads that have experienced heartbreak at major tournaments including losing on penalties to Italy in Euro 2012. Many believe that is the youth and inexperience of this summer’s England squad is what will make the difference because they lack the fear of expectations.
Frank Lampard on the motivation England has to advance in the World Cup:
"“I was enjoying [Euro 2004] so much that I was scared of getting knocked out by losing the second game. I remember the fear factor of it myself. It was not a negativity fear, I just didn’t want it to happen. There is nothing wrong with that and I think we have to take that with us now into the Uruguay game.We do not want to go home. We have got an exciting team here, we showed glimpses against Italy so we have to attack this game wanting to get the right result. I think if we focus, we do all the right things we are doing in training and behind the scenes, then we will go and get a result. Then, all of a sudden it all opens up for us a bit more. I think we probably had a slightly more experienced squad in Euro 2004. There seemed to a bulk of experience in the first eleven and the squad. But so what? Sometimes, having less fear in a young player can rub off on the squad generally.I don’t think any lack of experience makes a difference. We are all very focused and that is the most important thing. We are not looking anywhere else but the idea of winning that game. Spain lost their first game at the last World Cup and won it,” he said. “I’m not proclaiming we are going to do that but it can be done to different extents. It is one game, in which we didn’t play terribly. We are not sitting here in the doldrums thinking ‘where are we going to get this win from?’. We are actually looking forward, thinking ‘hang on, we can do that but a bit more and we can certainly beat most teams in front of us’.”Source: Mirror.co.uk"
If England are to advance, then they will need a tremendous performance in their last two games of the group against Uruguay and the surprising Costa Rica. Their mix of experienced veterans and dynamic youngsters will prove vital and they certainly have the talent to advance. A win and a draw may be enough to see them through but two wins will all but guarantee them a place in the round of sixteen.
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