Jose Mourinho does not like Frank Lampard standing up to him, says former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson, with there obvious “needle” between two men who once enjoyed a productive working relationship at Chelsea.
Mourinho delivered three Premier League titles across two memorable spells at Stamford Bridge and Lampard was a talismanic part of the Portuguese's plans as Chelsea enjoyed a remarkable era of success, but he has since made his own move into the dugout.
The Blues legend finds himself back in west London and being charged with the task of emulating the efforts of Mourinho.
He is set to lock horns with his former boss once again this weekend, with Chelsea preparing to play host to old adversaries Tottenham.
Robinson believes there will be sparks on and off the pitch in that contest, with friendships being put to one side on the touchline as master and apprentice go head-to-head.
“I have been at a couple of the games between them and I have watched them closely - there's a bit of needle on the touchline which is good to see,” ex-Spurs keeper Robinson told the Racing Post.
“Frank likes to show he is no longer the pupil and stands up to Jose to prove to him he is no longer the pupil, which I am not sure Mourinho likes.”
While Lampard is still learning his trade, Mourinho remains one of the most decorated coaches of the modern era.
It was his trophy-laden CV that convinced Tottenham to snap him up 12 months ago, with Robinson confident that a proven winner can deliver long-awaited silverware in north London.
He added: “Jose was brought in for one reason - to win trophies - and I genuinely believe he can do that with the team he has.
“He knows he can be part of history if he can win with Tottenham and you saw that in the week when they played Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and had Europa League qualification two days later. He picked teams to win both games. Jose is looking to keep his balls in the air for all competitions.”
It could be that another Premier League title falls within Mourinho’s reach in 2020-21, with Robinson expecting Spurs and Chelsea to compete for the grandest prize in English football.
He said: “Jose and Frank Lampard are doing fantastically well and I genuinely believe they are both title contenders this season.
“This will be a game between two teams who have managers who need to produce and this is a big test for Frank, who was given a lot of money and brought in some outstanding players to the club.”
