Frank Lampard and Ephron Mason-Clark on Cardiff City draw 🎙️

Frank, welcome back to Football Management. What did you learn about your team today? A fair bit. Some good, some not so good in our performance. It's to be expected I guess, two days working where we are in the league. We want to get better and that means working on the things that we see, so I certainly saw that. We started the game I thought pretty well until we conceded an attack and a goal at a set-piece. The reaction to that through the first half was pretty good. Lots of things I quite liked, some bits still that weren't right, we tried to correct that at half-time, but the biggest issue with the second half was just the staleness of our performance. So it can happen in this league. I'm not here to criticise the players after two days, I'm pleased with their character to get the result that we got in the end. I know there's a lot of desire, certainly it's for me to get better and we take the point and we move on. Conceding early in the second half seemed to knock the stuffing out of you a bit and you'll be aware of course that has been the problem this season, conceding goals, even sometimes when the opposition aren't on top. Yeah, and this league like many others, but this league particularly, what happens at both ends and both boxes is absolutely crucial, it sounds simple but it's true. You feel you can have any form of control when a team can counter-attack and score. That's normal. The reaction after I don't love because you want to get the hold of the game again, but I've also been there when that's tough and challenging, especially if you're in a period of that which you've come into. That's a little bit step-by-step that I want to change. We have to be quite humble about it and look at the real basics in our game and how we train for the week now. A really competitive game coming up next weekend, so training this week has to be competitive. I think the lads, I know the lads from that short time will be up for that and it will work. Cardiff were a bit upset about the penalty, did you have a view on it? I didn't but I'm told it was. That was one of my staff so they maybe thought it was but they said it was a handball. It took a while for the referee to give it. I appreciate that when he gives it first because they've thought about it and they've found it was the right decision but I haven't seen it myself again. But Victor, they tried to put him off but he kept his cool didn't they? I took penalties so I understand it and when it takes a while and there's a lot of kerfuffle and the penalty spots maybe being roughed up, all those sort of things, it's not easy to keep calm. I thought he took it brilliantly. Just now from Mason Clarke who got the first goal, he's been a bit in and out so far, he's played in different positions, not always played. Does he need a consistent run do you think perhaps playing in his favoured place? Both. He needs time and consideration coming in as a club. It's not easy settling in into a division above. We must all give him time on that but he also needs to earn the right to play minutes regularly. I'm pleased with him today. It's a nice little base for him that scores his goal. He understands that moment of running in behind is what we want from our wingers and he showed it. Other bits we'll look at with his movements can be better but it's normal. He's got a lot of raw talent and we want to get to work with it really quickly. And Tats Sakamoto was bold to create that goal and he had a good first half. He really did. Moving to a back four brings you different, there's always a conundrum, there's something you get which is wingers that can excite you and one winger crossing for another to score is a bit of a party. It's a great thing but we also defensively have to be better. Tats was really good. I like him as a player, I've always liked him and I've watched him. Really interesting player, great feet, can really move people well as he goes by them and can find passes. So yeah, we've obviously got stuff to work with but we want to get results. Results will be key because it will win confidence. It sounds simple but wins breed confidence. This club hasn't had them for a little while really, a few weeks, whatever it is. So we have to work towards it. And you alluded to it but no midweek game, that gives you a good week to be able to work. Yeah, it's good. And then three on the bounce, so good weeks away. We can't miss a moment, the players need to rest now and they deserve their rest now. But after that it's working on the things that we saw today to improve. And just a final thought, FA Cup third round draw on Monday, fancy Chelsea at home? I don't know, don't say that to me. I wouldn't mind, why not? See some old friends. Swear from and views on that game? At the end of the day we're pleased to walk away with a point, a well-needed point in this time of the season as well. But of course we're disappointed not to take all three but it's a building block and we're just going to have to build on it and have a good week of training until the next one. What's it been like at the front? I believe you've had a couple of days with him. Yeah, it's been Thursday he was in so it's been really quick but in that short space of time I think we've taken on a lot of tactics and ways of playing and it's been clear and quite simple really and I feel like in parts we showed that today. And you got your first goal for the club, a special moment? Yeah, really special for me but like I say it's just the start for the group, it's a new start for everybody really. Yeah, he played you in the left of the attacking three, it's kind of your favourite position isn't it, does that help? Yeah, I do prefer that position but at the end of the day no matter where I'm playing I'm trying to give 100% for not just the team but the fans as well. Obviously the frustration for the team is you conceding goals aren't you, is that a thing as a team you're going to put right? Yeah of course and I think we'll show that with going over it on Monday and reviewing it and kind of nitpicking that small stuff that once we fix I feel like we'll be able to take that further throughout the whole season. But has Frank created a buzz about the place, obviously given his name, given his career, has that created a bit of a buzz? Yeah of course, I think with how competitive our team is, having a person like that in the building is only going to amplify that and make every single training session and match day competitive. Second half you couldn't quite replicate the first half, why do you think that was? Just certain games showed that but I feel like we showed that as a team we just kept going and it showed from the result, getting a goal late. It's a little bit of a rumble without a win now, you're confident you can get out of that pretty soon? Yeah it's a long season at the end of the day and first game is something that is positive for us to build from really so it's a good start for us.