Frank Lampard claims he is judged differently due to being the only English coach at a 'Big Six' club

Frank Lampard believes he is judged differently to some of his contemporaries as the lone English manager in the Champions League at one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League.

Chelsea head coach Lampard is only the second English manager after Sir Bobby Robson to take charge of a team in two or more Champions League campaigns, despite the fact this is his third season in the job, the first of which was in the Championship with Derby County.

“I don’t feel a responsibility to the English managers union or whatever you want to call it, but I was surprised by the stat myself when I was told it, behind the great Sir Bobby Robson,” said Lampard.

“I’m not thinking of myself anywhere near being the standard-bearer or the frontman for it because there are great (English) managers and young coaches out there. All I do is try to do the job as well as I can.”

Lampard, who is the only English manager at one of the Premier League’s so-called big six clubs, believes there is still a tendency to become fixated on the achievements of foreign coaches rather than appreciate the talents of some of the country’s home-grown talent.

“For quite a long time, I used to hear about how English managers get jobs in the Premier League and there is a merry-go-round and this sort of thing, but I actually think it’s slightly different now and we are seeing English managers showing their qualities throughout the Premier League, throughout the Championship and throughout the leagues,” said Lampard.

“And, hopefully, there are more opportunities for them because I think sometimes, with the brilliant invasion of great, quality (foreign) coaches and players into the Premier League, sometimes I think our eyes go to that and it becomes very new and trendy, and rightly so, because they have achieved so much. But, also, sometimes I think we have managers at home that can do the jobs as well.”

Asked if he felt he gets judged differently because he is English, Lampard, whose Chelsea team face Krasnodar in Group E of the Champions League on Wednesday night, replied: “I think, possibly, yes.

“When I got this job I think a lot of people were questioning me. A lot of people told me ‘Are you sure you want to take it?’ because of maybe opinion. I think sometimes people can be very quick to form opinions for whatever reason and being a young English manager with one year at Derby, some of that I understood.

“But, at the same time, I think sometimes we just have to judge people on face value, like we do any manager. It doesn’t matter where you’re from. All managers should be judged the same. I was pretty proud of what we achieved last season in coming in the top four. In fact, I felt we could have done even better than that for different reasons, but I was happy with that.

“I can’t get swung on opinion because if you do that managing a Premier League team and look and read and listen to all of them then it will affect you every day, so I just have to do the job as well as I can and, hopefully, the opinions will speak for themselves.”

Lampard has left Thiago Silva at home, along with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, and confirmed Telegraph Sport’s story that he has held constructive discussions with Antonio Rudiger who he confirmed is in contention to play some part against Krasnodar.

“I’ve had discussions with Antonio and all the players, and I’ve always had a positive relationship with him,” said Lampard. “Everything I do, I do for the club and for the team. Every week at the minute, with the squad we have, sometimes you have to have players out of the squad and it’s always big news for everybody. But we’ve got a very positive relationship, he’s in the squad and very much in contention to play.”