Supporters of other clubs may see the appointment of Frank Lampard at Chelsea as the heart ruling the head.

After all, the 40-year-old has one year of managerial experience and hasn’t managed in the top flight, but if you delve beneath the surface, the Blues legend could well be the perfect fit for what the club are looking for.

Here are five things you can expect from a Frank Lampard team if he is appointed as Maurizio Sarri’s successor at Stamford Bridge:

1) Wingers as inside forwards

Although it looks like a 4-3-3, Lampard’s Derby effectively played with two inside forwards in Tom Lawrence and Harry Wilson. Rather than offering width, they are asked to come inside and get involved between the lines to create chances.

Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi love cutting in onto their stronger feet so you would expect these two to be first-choice when fit. However, both Pedro and Willian will be able to play in these new roles without much adaptation.

2) High press with quick players

It’s clear that retrieving possession as quickly as possible is a cornerstone of Lampard’s footballing philosophy.  When the ball is lost, Derby’s players take up positions high up the pitch to close down passes and prevent counter-attacks.

For this to work, you need players with pace and high energy in order to keep up the work rate and tempo. A focus on younger players could compliment this strategy well.

3) A focus on transitions

Once the ball is retrieved, Lampard’s team is not focused on a possession game like Manchester City, it’s about taking advantage of opponents on the counter attacks. This requires a fast striker, to push back the opponent’s defensive line, and ball carriers in midfield who can supply the two inside forwards with the ball so they can exploit the space.

Creating opportunities through the middle is the priority while fullbacks will move higher whenever the opponents commit too many players centrally.

4) A sophisticated defensive organisation

Despite the heavy focus on pressure, Lampard does not sacrifice his defensive organisation as his team tries to retrieve possession. They keep a fair number of players behind the ball and keep both fullbacks quite deep to prevent counter-attacks against them.

They focus their pressing in the middle of the pitch, forcing opponents into wider areas, meaning they have less ground to cover and allowing fewer angles for teams to attack against them.

5) The return of the box to box midfielder

One of Lampard’s three central midfielders plays almost exactly like he did during his playing days. Mason Mount invariably arrived late into the box to pick out a pass or score a goal for Derby last campaign.

The 20-year-old scored 11 goals, and will likely feature prominently if and when Lampard is appointed Chelsea boss.