Frank - We are the stars, City are just wannabes
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We are the stars, City are just wannabes - Frank Lampard
FRANK LAMPARD fittingly chose Hollywood as the venue to turn the spotlight on Manchester City's desperate bid to break into the big-time.
Chelsea may have been zig-zagging across the States to milk the pre-season dollar but it was in Tinseltown, the destination of every movie wannabe, that Lampard made his assessment of the latest A-list stars in waiting.
The vast majority never make it beyond waiting tables or valet parking for the rich and famous few who have made it to the very top.
Oh, to be like Lampard, one of the biggest box office draws in the business with a string of blockbuster hits and a showreel full of starring roles to his name.
Hottest
You can just imagine Mark Hughes echoing the thought. The City boss is blowing the big bucks to assemble a cast that can become the hottest show in town. But Chelsea's leading man could not resist a dig at all the excesses at Eastlands.
STAR BILLING - Frank LampardLampard, with more than a passing nod to the City theatrics, said: "I don't think it is a necessity for Chelsea to go out and spend a ridiculous amount of money."
City do have to break the bank to try to compete with a star-studded side that has won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the Carling Cup and appeared in five Champions League semi-finals and one final in the past six years. In fact, Lampard believes the Blues are so good it is hard to improve them.
He said: "I am sure if one of the top, top players is available then the club will try everything to try to sign them. There are definitely a couple of players out there who would add a lot to this team. But there are millions of others who would not bring much to this squad at all because we are already so strong right across the board."
Contenders
A super-confident Lampard is convinced Chelsea will be contenders for the big prizes again with or without a 'marquee' signing of their own. But what about City?
The 31-year-old England midfielder has his doubts, saying: "They are buying big, spending a lot of money, bringing in quality players - but whether they can all gel together straight away remains to be seen. Because while you can spend, spend, spend, the one thing you can't buy is chemistry.
"Obviously, there is huge expectation but whether they can do it in their first season, who knows?"
Lampard draws comparisons with Chelsea's surge into the big-time bank-rolled by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich
Titles
He said: "I remember when Roman first came to Chelsea it was a similar situation but, remember, we didn't win the league in the very first season, we came second with Claudio Ranieri.
"Then Jose Mourinho came in and we won back-to-back titles which shows it can be done - but it does take a bit of time. You need the right manager and a period of time for him to work and for the team to gel.
"The important thing to realise is that it is not about individuals coming in and acting like individuals. It's about building a team and making it work, making it hum. And it remains to be seen if City are capable of doing that.
"Of course, you can buy success. But only if you buy the right players, players who are good on the pitch and good off it. That's the important thing. That's what we have had at Chelsea over the years and we have had great success."
Mistakes
There have been expensive mistakes along the way, though, such as Juan Sebastian Veron, Adrian Mutu and Hernan Crespo. But most notably £30million record signing Andriy Shevchenko.
He's not even sure he's ahead of teenagers Angelo Di Santo and Daniel Sturridge in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge these days and his future is very much in doubt.
Sturridge, who turned his back on City to pursue his own dream of stardom with Chelsea, has certainly made an immediate impact at his new club. And Lampard has been very impressed, saying: "He has a huge future. Talent-wise he is right up there. He has shown that in training and he has shown it in the matches so far.
"He needs to work hard, needs to learn off Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka and then take his chance when it comes. But he's settling in well and has certainly added some spice to training."
Stability
There's one signing Lampard is hoping will prove even more valuable - new boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Lamps added: "Hopefully, Carlo can be our most important signing because he can bring stability to the team. He definitely has the credentials to do that. We know his history at Milan and what he built there. It was a Milan phenomenon really with the way they won the Champions League and the players that they brought through.
"He's a classy man and a good coach and, hopefully, we can have success and that will bring the continuity."
Ancelotti has been quick to get his message across. Lampard added: "He has had a couple of team meetings where he has told us how he wants us to play as a team and he has also spoken to us as individuals.
Knocking
"He seems a good man manager and he's a very good coach. Training is good, the work we are doing in training, the way he is working with the players. It's all enjoyable.
"Even though it is early days we are playing very well, knocking the ball around very well, creating a lot of chances. It looks like we are starting to gel for the season.
"But we know these pre-season games don't matter so much, the main concentration is all on when the league games start - that's when we have to be really at it."
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Lampard, with more than a passing nod to the City theatrics, said: "I don't think it is a necessity for Chelsea to go out and spend a ridiculous amount of money."
wtf is he talking about?
chelsea did the same thing which was a ridiculous amount of money at that time
anyway man city needs to spend money on a new manager.
not mark hughes.
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Originally posted by kopiosatu:
Lampard, with more than a passing nod to the City theatrics, said: "I don't think it is a necessity for Chelsea to go out and spend a ridiculous amount of money."
wtf is he talking about?
chelsea did the same thing which was a ridiculous amount of money at that time
anyway man city needs to spend money on a new manager.
not mark hughes.
lollllll short term memory lah he..
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Originally posted by kopiosatu:
Lampard, with more than a passing nod to the City theatrics, said: "I don't think it is a necessity for Chelsea to go out and spend a ridiculous amount of money."
wtf is he talking about?
chelsea did the same thing which was a ridiculous amount of money at that time
anyway man city needs to spend money on a new manager.
not mark hughes.
Think he's talking abt Cheating United(ManUre), Loserpool, Arse-anal who spend ridiculous amounts of $$$$ for decades in EPL but are still fricking losers when whipped by nobodies!!
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Originally posted by divingutd:
Think he's talking abt Cheating United(ManUre), Loserpool, Arse-anal who spend ridiculous amounts of $$$$ for decades in EPL but are still fricking losers when whipped by nobodies!!
Somehow it's like saying, you are back!
The main one posting elsewhere in Speaker's corner and the clones roam around, here!
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not true at all
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Originally posted by Dead_Man_Inc:
Somehow it's like saying, you are back!
The main one posting elsewhere in Speaker's corner and the clones roam around, here!nah these trolls come in once in awhile.. usually, a few minutes later his siamese twin troll innosaint will come in also but lols but i guess he's lazy to log off the first account and log in the second account today..
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Plain sour grapes and I agree Chelsea is a one stage like Man City. So is he shooting his own foot?
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If terry go i laugh.
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Originally posted by dinky1409:
nah these trolls come in once in awhile.. usually, a few minutes later his siamese twin troll innosaint will come in also but lols but i guess he's lazy to log off the first account and log in the second account today..
he got another twin twin, who is shooting off his mouth, chrisbenoit? any relation to them?
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Originally posted by marcteng:
he got another twin twin, who is shooting off his mouth, chrisbenoit? any relation to them?
Hi mad dog, talking about me again? Am I always on your mind? Please dont be gay. -
now the mad dog is a copycat. not original.
sent me 7 hatred PM some more, so bo liao.
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