http://www.espnfc.co.uk/chelsea/story/2021378/frank-lampard-chelsea-player-power-claims-a-load-of-crap "AVB had played his cards and it hadn't worked," he told The Sun. "I don't know if he was too young or whether it had come too early for him. "One thing I will address is that a lot of people said when he and Phil Scolari and some of the other managers left it was all down to player power at Chelsea. "That's a load of crap. I'm being completely honest. Okay, AVB and I were not very close but I don't need to be close to my manager - but I am definitely not the type to act up. "No one at the club was. Even Ash [Cole], who I know wasn't happy not playing week-in week-out, would never have run off and said, 'Please sack the manager, we've had enough of him'. That's plain ridiculous. We are professionals. "Can you imagine what Roman Abramovich would've said to him? 'I pay your wages, I make the decisions, now f--- off and play.' "It just didn't work with AVB. He then went on to Tottenham and had another experience which was negative. Now he's apparently doing pretty well at Zenit so good luck to him. We all learn." Lampard described Villas-Boas' sacking as "a horrible night for the club." Chelsea had just lost 3-1 at Napoli in the Champions League -- a scoreline they would turn around under Di Matteo before going on to win the competition. "It had been brewing for some time -- there had been a few problems in the AVB era from the start," Lampard said. "He was a very young manager and he had been at the club before. But he changed a lot of things all at once to try to put his own imprint on the club which, to be honest, I think he may have been asked to do. "But it seemed quite clear that he didn't see me, Didier Drogba and, to a point, Ashley Cole as being in tune with how he wanted to do it or the way the club should go. I was in and out of the team and Didier didn't play a lot, either. "I'm not stupid. If I'm playing regularly and a new manager comes in, brings in a couple of new players and then leaves you out for a good few weeks, you understand what it is. We then went to Napoli and he didn't play me or Ash while he had Jose Bosingwa out of position at left-back. "It was a disastrous night. AVB went soon after, Robbie Di Matteo came in, me and Ash came back for the second leg, Didier scored the first and the team turned it round." Lampard is now on loan at Manchester City from Major League Soccer's latest franchise, New York City FC, and could face his old club when they meet on Sep. 21 in the Premier League. And the midfielder, who retired from international football last week, is confident there will be no ill-feeling when he takes on the Blues. "I don't see it as a slight on anyone if I take part," Lampard added. "The way I feel about Chelsea fans, it wouldn't be a problem to play in front of them again. I have nothing but good feelings for them and know I'd get a good reception. "I know I said I'd never play for another Premier League club and I never thought I would. I left Chelsea and my feeling was to go to play abroad. So I signed for New York - which is a great chance for me - entirely in good faith. "I know people say it was a set-up situation for me then to go to City. It wasn't. The only thing I hadn't worked out was how to stay fit before starting in the States. But then City approached me to train, play and be part of the squad. The champions of England, a fantastic club, with a squad brimming with talent. It just made complete sense. "If I'd had five months off at 36, I don't know what state I would have been in to play. But now I'm fit enough to be involved and knocking on the door and I don't want to be here just to make up the numbers. I haven't broached it with the manager yet but I'm sure we will speak about it. I don't think it would be right for me to declare now that I didn't want to play because what happens if City get two or three injuries in midfield? "Am I going to allow them to play a kid there when they are paying my wages? On a professional note, I have to get my head round that one. As a Chelsea player I would never have acted like that and I don't want to start now. Whatever I do, it will be with completely the right intentions on all fronts."
