Frank Lampard proclaimed last night that anything other than an England World Cup win should be regarded as a failure.
Fabio Capello’s side will travel to South Africa in good heart next summer with the manager aiming to reach the final, but the Chelsea midfield player will be satisfied only if they go one better.
England reached the quarter-finals of the past two tournaments, which were widely regarded as failed campaigns, with the latter leading to the departures of Sven-G?ran Eriksson, the head coach, and David Beckham as captain. Lampard regards Capello’s aim of reaching the final in Johannesburg as a minimum target, and will be disappointed if he fails to get his hands on the trophy.
“A World Cup can be career-defining if you do really well, as a group and as individuals, and that means winning it, basically,” Lampard said. “We’ve been in quarterfinals before, which were seen as failures, a semi-final isn’t that much better, so any defeat is no good. People want and expect us to win the tournament, which is how we feel as players.
“Anything other than winning it would be a failure almost. It has to be. If we get knocked out in the quarter-finals or semis, people will still be looking for a World Cup win in four years’ time. It’s unfortunate, but that’s why it’s so difficult. There are so many good teams, one moment of luck, one penalty, an injury or a sending-off can change it.
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“Getting to the final at the very least is what’s needed to be seen as a success. But then to lose would be devastating and still not good enough. I’ve been there and done that in a Champions League final, but at least you get another chance every year. Let’s not think negatively — we want to win it.”
Lampard believes that England should fear no one in South Africa as a result of their rapid improvement under Capello over the past two years and the experience they have gained in the Champions League, which has had at least one English finalist in each of the past five seasons. England have lost only four matches since Capello took charge in January 2008, with October’s defeat by Ukraine their only loss in a competitive game.
“Without getting carried away, we do have a belief in ourselves now, which shows how far we’ve come on the pitch,” Lampard said. “We’ve all been exposed to playing the top teams with England and in the Champions League, and have a belief we can take them on.
“In a World Cup you’re going to play the best teams eventually, so why not in the group? Why not be in the ‘group of death’ and go and play the best? We’ve got to have the belief in ourselves that we’d come through that group, with great confidence to take forward to the next round.”
After failing to perform to his potential in the tournament in Germany three years ago, Lampard is doubly determined to shine next summer.
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“If we did win, it certainly would be career-defining for all of us as a group, let alone as individuals,” the 31-year-old said. “I had a little bit of that after Euro 2004, my first international tournament, when I was late into the team and my performances elevated me to another level. I was a regular after that and I’ll always have very fond memories of Portugal. These are the moments you look back at the end of your career when you’ve packed in.
“It probably will be my last World Cup if I’m honest. Having played in one that wasn’t that successful before, I’d love to have one that I can remember for the right reasons. The tournament is so big, it doesn’t matter if you get another chance in the future. You concentrate on that tournament and that alone.”