Chelsea’s Frank Lampard set for another bout against his greatest mentor

Chelsea and Frank Lampard are travelling away to Everton for another matchup against Lampard’s greatest mentor in the game.

Where Frank Lampard derives his tactics has been written about several times since he first took the Derby County job. While many wanted to draw the line to Jose Mourinho (and there are parts of him for sure), that was always a weaker link. Like any good manager turned player, Lampard absorbed bits and pieces from every manager he played for as well as some others in the game. But he perhaps absorbed the most from Carlo Ancelotti.

Ancelotti’s Chelsea is still a bit of a marker for Blues managers. While Mourinho’s 2004/2005 was fantastic and Antonio Conte’s 2016/2017 team record breaking, it was Ancelotti’s 2009/2010 team that truly set the pace. They played some of the most buccaneering, dominant, and frankly Chelsea football that has ever been seen at Stamford Bridge. Slowly but surely, Lampard’s side is imitating that.

Lampard has and has had many mentors, some not necessarily direct. Much is gleamed from Jurgen Klopp despite never having played for him. Even despite the coolness of the relationship, there are signs of Mourinho there. Even Marcelo Bielsa taught Lampard lessons from afar, albeit in the harshest and sleeziest of ways for the young manager. It also can’t be ignored how similar Ralph Hasenhuttl and Lampard’s tactics are overall either. But above all else is Ancelotti, which makes any match against Everton feel a bit like a final exam for Lampard trying to impress his favorite teacher.

Despite how long Ancelotti has now been at Everton, Lampard and Chelsea have only faced him together once. That was the home 4-0 beat down right on the eve of the Covid break when the Blues were finally having all the pieces click together. Obviously that would have been a great moment for Lampard but now this will be the first time on Ancelotti’s new turf. The same turf that Ancelotti saw his time at Chelsea and his time managing Lampard come to an end nearly a decade ago now.

Obviously Ancelotti will want his Everton to win, but this won’t be like Mourinho seeing his Tottenham side lose to Lampard’s Chelsea. Ancelotti will hold no ill will towards his former player because he doesn’t seek to keep him down. Ancelotti was always the one to raise players and the like up and Lampard, opponent or not, will feel that.

One could say the point was already proven with the 4-0 back in March but one never really stops trying to impress their mentors. Ancelotti will not make it easy for Lampard but he won’t be holding a grudge if his former player gets the better of him once again. Ancelotti’s been in the game for a long time and he has laid the seeds for many future managers. He knows the game.

When Chelsea travel to Everton, Lampard will do his best to impress. This isn’t a grudge match or getting one over the other like Mourinho or Bielsa. This is affection and showing just how far he has come.