3/1 To Win
Frank Lampard has urged his team to bounce back from defeat to show the Derby County side he knows his team can be.
The Rams will travel to face Oldham Athletic in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, kick-off: 7:45 pm.
It’s a quick turn-around from the 4-1 defeat to Leeds United on Saturday, leaving no time to mull over the disappointment.
Having watched the match back, Lampard believes his team remained firmly in the game but conceded goals at crucial times. The first home game of the season provided some positives to build on and highlighted areas in which to improve, starting against the League Two side.
“You lose 4-1 at home, it hurts and you look for things to improve,” Lampard told RamsTV ahead of the cup clash.
“I don’t think it is as drastic as the scoreline suggests and we certainly can’t be down beat at all because the games will come thick and fast now.
“It’s one of the beauties of football that you can deal with these things very, very quickly.
“The mistakes and the feeling that we got after the game we can pick up on, we reflect, we deal with and we try and show against Oldham and going forward the team that I know we are and I think we can be.”
After a successful pre-season and an emphatic opening night victory at Reading, Tuesday night will be the first real test for Lampard as a manager to ensure the Rams can bounce back quickly.
That test may be against a be a side two leagues below, but the Derby boss is intent on putting out a strong side and not cutting the home side any slack.
He insists that the mindset will be the same as any other game, and with Oldham opening their season with a loss and a draw, the Latics will also be on a mission to prove themselves.
“There may be some changes in terms of minutes for people and keeping the balance of the legs used,” Lampard said. “But I don’t want to treat it as a mass change to give it the wrong feeling because we want to win the game.
“We have to treat it as any other game, with full respect because it will be a difficult game.
“I’ve watched Oldham and know they will be well-organised, physically good and if we aren’t at it, they can hurt us, without a doubt.
“It’s a potential banana skin and it’s up to us to approach the game with the right attitude and how we play to make sure we get the right result.”
There is a long way to go before the final in February, and with league play taking centre stage and highest priority throughout the season the Carabao Cup tends to be put on the backburners.
However, Lampard, who has played in three of the cup’s finals, believes it holds an importance to his side and offers an opportunity to challenge themselves against higher competition.
“We know a cup run is good for the club, where it can potentially take us through to play Premier League teams and see where we really are at.
“We give it everything to try and win, as you should do, and who knows if you get on a good run. The further you can get in it, the better for our confidence.”
