Lampard vs. Gerrard: How ex-England teammates have fared as managers so far

One of the most debated topics in England used to be how to simultaneously field Chelsea's Frank Lampard and Liverpool's Steven Gerrard.

When the pair retired from international football in 2014, after years of managers not realizing they could have deployed the duo between a lone striker and deep-lying midfielder, it felt like a criminal waste of resources by the Three Lions setup.

Now, aged 40 and 38, respectively, can these former stalwarts of the game prove they have the tactical nous and man-management skills to cut it in the technical area? Are they better than Steve McClaren?

Here, theScore looks at how Lampard and Gerrard have fared during their early initiations in management as club football returns following September's international break.

Frank Lampard

Lampard revealed he was "excited and nervous" when he was unveiled as Derby County manager over the summer, with the latter feeling perhaps worsened by club chairman and Candy Crush magnate Mel Morris' trigger-happy ways. Lampard called in Jody Morris for assistance, his former Chelsea teammate and overseer of back-to-back FA Youth Cup triumphs for the young Blues.

The Chelsea connections don't end there. The two players Lampard has borrowed from his former club - Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori - have stood out over the opening weeks of his reign. Mount joined off the back of an incredible season in midfield for Vitesse Arnhem and already counts four goals and one assist across eight matches. Canadian-born Tomori, meanwhile, leads the team in tackles (eight) and interceptions (13), and is second for clearances (24).

A common misstep by new managers is to stick with what they know, but Lampard has shown a respect for seasoned Football League players, even if they are a tad unfashionable. David Nugent, 33, continues to be key for the Rams and, if fit, new arrival George Evans is still young and a competent player for the second tier. The nab of Scott Malone from Huddersfield Town should also pay dividends, with the left-back being chosen ahead of then-Fulham colleague Ryan Sessegnon in the Championship's best XI for the 2016-17 campaign.

Lampard will have also won plaudits from the boardroom after shedding Cameron Jerome, Darren Bent, Chris Baird, and 13 others from the wage bill.

A commendable fourth-placed standing is shrouded in doubt, though. The defense doesn't give up many clear-cut chances - the 4-1 home loss to Leeds United in Lampard's second game in charge was an anomaly - but Derby's disappointing number of expected goals per match suggests they are not creating enough quality opportunities.

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Perhaps struggles in carving open opponents are to be expected following the summer departures of Matej Vydra and, to a much lesser extent, Andreas Weimann, but Mount may need more creative help in the three-man midfield. On two occasions, Derby have been fortunate to pinch wins with late goals.

For now, the likeliest sources of goals are Tom Lawrence and newcomer Martyn Waghorn, but it will be interesting to see if Jack Marriott can jump up the pecking order and rehash his League One form. The close-season capture scored 27 and assisted five in 44 starts for Peterborough United last term.

Steven Gerrard

Gerrard was appointed at Rangers with more coaching experience than Lampard. He left his post in Liverpool's academy, where he encountered the nascent talent of Trent Alexander-Arnold making the move into the senior fold, and worked with other hyped youngsters like Rhian Brewster, Sheyi Ojo, Harry Wilson, Liam Millar, and Curtis Jones.

He brought coach Michael Beale with him from the Reds' youth setup to Ibrox, but then added vast knowledge of the Scottish game by installing former club teammate Gary McAllister as his No. 2.

Gerrard hasn't been shy in calling Liverpool for temporary fixes. Ovie Ejaria and Ryan Kent have been loaned from Merseyside, and the troubled Jon Flanagan, another academy graduate, was signed as a reclamation project after his Liverpool contract expired.

There has been some shrewdness elsewhere in Gerrard's transfer business. Connor Goldson is an intelligent purchase from Brighton & Hove Albion - over a year-and-a-half removed from his career-saving heart surgery - while 36-year-old goalkeeper Allan McGregor has been a revelation since being welcomed back north of the border.

Judging from the Rangers' achievements on the continent, Gerrard's regime has melded pretty quickly. The Gers began their season in mid-July and saw off Macedonia's FK Shkupi, Croatia's NK Osijek, Slovenia's NK Maribor in their most impressive two-legged performance, and Russia's FC Ufa in the Europa League qualifiers to book their first group-stage appearance in a European competition since the 2010-11 term.

Including the European workload, Rangers started the season unbeaten in 12 matches. There have been some entertaining fixtures along the way - a 5-5 draw with Hibernian and 3-3 tie at Motherwell - and performances under their new, demanding manager that suggested they could finally compete with Celtic at the summit of Scottish football.

It wasn't to be. Losing 1-0 in Parkhead may not seem a bad result on paper, but Rangers were overwhelmed by their Old Firm rivals at the start of September. It was a result that exposed the huge gulf that still exists between the Glaswegian clubs, and extended Celtic's unbeaten streak in the cross-city battle to 10 matches.

And unfortunately for Gerrard, his arrival also coincides with improvements from other clubs in the division, such as Hearts. Maybe the Scouser should concern himself with besting the Edinburgh lot in his maiden campaign, rather than ambitiously trying to topple Celtic at the first time of asking.

There are issues with indiscipline for Gerrard to resolve if Rangers are to avoid unraveling in a number of fixtures this season, with the record currently displaying a huge 30 yellows and four reds brandished at his side so far. However, his transfer dealings and progress on the continental scene have ensured a positive start to his professional managerial career in a difficult role.

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