Revenge not on the menu for Lampard
CHELSEA vs MANCHESTER UTD
CHELSEA midfielder Frank Lampard admits defeat in the 2008 Champions League final at the hands of Manchester United was the lowest point of his career, but insists he and his team-mates cannot allow thoughts of revenge to cloud their preparation ahead of tonight’s quarter-final first leg.
In an epic penalty shootout in Moscow, John Terry and Nicolas Anelka failed to convert and handed the trophy to United, adding to a long list of Chelsea near misses in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.
Lampard, who is set to make his 500th appearance in a Chelsea shirt tonight, could line-up alongside as many as seven survivors from that final, but maintains thoughts of retribution aren’t on his mind.
He said: “It’s a similar team but I promise you, revenge isn’t in our minds. When you play for a long period of time, as I have here, you see the ups and downs. You collect them. You don’t feel thoughts of revenge against anyone.
“In the end it’s a bad memory because we lost. The reason for being in the final is to win it. To score was a nice achievement, but there was a feeling of frustration.
“It would be lovely to put that right but we don’t talk about it. A few of us are still here, but it’s not something that gets brought up.”
United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, 69, meanwhile insists he has no retirement plans in place just yet – but has admitted he would stand aside if the Manchester United hierarchy felt the manager’s job was too much for him
He said: “If I was told, ‘Alex, you are too old, we have decided to turn the page’, no problem.”
Wayne Rooney has accepted the FA charge against him for the rant into a TV camera at Upton Park on Saturday, but he has appealed against the two-match ban that is supposed to accompany it.
HISTORY | LAST 10 MEETINGS
1 Mar 11 Chelsea 2-1 Man Utd PL
8 Aug 11 Chelsea 1-3 Man Utd CS
3 Apr 10 Man Utd 1-2 Chelsea PL
8 Nov 09 Chelsea 1-0 Man Utd PL
9 Aug 09 Chelsea 2-2 Man Utd CS*
11 Jan 09 Man Utd 3-0 Chelsea PL
21 Sep 08 Chelsea 1-1 Man Utd PL
21 May 08 Man Utd 1-1 Chelsea CL**
26 Apr 08 Chelsea 2-1 Man Utd PL
23 Sep 07 Man Utd 2-0 Chelsea PL
Key:
* Chelsea win on pens;
** Man Utd win on pens;
PL Premier League;
CL Champions League;
CS Community Shield