The Sky Sports pundits were hashing over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s future at Manchester United following their 2-0 loss at Anfield, with Keane very much in the camp his former team-mate should be kept in place for at least another year. He argued Lampard has received preferential treatment since taking the reins at Stamford Bridge.

‘I saw Chelsea [at Newcastle], decent team, couldn’t get the job done,’ said Keane. ‘Lampard has lost eight games, but he has all the answers for Chelsea? He hasn’t but give the man time.

‘To question Ole and says he’s not up to it, for some reason other managers go to other clubs and are given the benefit of the doubt.’

Responding to those comments, which he watched live, Lampard disputed Keane’s claim some think ‘he has all the answers’.

‘I have respect for Roy Keane and Carra,’ began Lampard. ‘I love watching Roy because of how passionate he is and to the point. I like what they were talking about, it’s a conversation that can go on forever.

‘I don’t think being English gives you any sort of a bye from criticism; in fact, when I first got this job, I heard quite a lot writing me off because I’m young and English and only had a year at Derby.

‘You do want time as a manager, and you do want to put all those things in place: young players which take time to develop and get better, recruitment which is going to be hugely important for us over the next two windows. We hope we get things right and we move forward.

‘Look at Jurgen Klopp. He’s had four years there to build an incredible team. That’s probably a mixture of young players who have come through and improved, and he takes credit for that, some fantastic recruitment, and then some big-hitting signings that came in at the right time.

‘It’s a beautiful model to look at it. What he has had is time, and opportunity to bring in players for his style and the way he wants to play.

‘I don’t think there was a winner out of that debate,’ concluded Lampard, ‘but from my point of view all I want to do is work and work and work, and get the best scenario for Chelsea.’

This evening the best scenario would be three points against Arsenal, a side we faced less than a month ago. Lampard is not willing to predict how they will set up, whether to attack or put men behind the ball, soak up pressure and try and counter.

‘I don’t assume anything. The game at the Emirates said it all. They spent a lot of time on the front foot, pressing us in the first half, and then they retreated because how the game worked.

‘They’ve got players who can do both. We also hopefully have players who can do both. It’ll be a fiercely-competed derby with good players. It’ll be a great challenge for us.’

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