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Frank Lampard, former England and Chelsea footballer during an interview at the NanoM Office at the Golden Mile Galleria, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai. Image Credit: Antonin Kélian Kallouche/Gulf News

Dubai: Antonio Conte’s dropping of star defender David Luiz (right) has been blown out of all proportion and people need to let the Chelsea manager do his job, according to Blues legend Frank Lampard.

The Brazilian didn’t feature in Sunday’s 1-0 win at home to Manchester United sparking fears of a bust-up with the Italian, who has already seen Diego Costa leave the club for Atletico Madrid earlier this season after a fall out.

Amid all this, the club’s technical director Michael Emenalo has also suddenly just resigned after a 10-year spell, leaving many to suspect change is on the horizon for the erring defending champions.

“Unfortunately, the microscope on Chelsea means that if a manager takes a decision it’s sort of blown out of all proportion,” Lampard told Gulf News in Dubai on Tuesday, where he’s here to open the nanoM sports health clinic in the Golden Mile Galleria on Palm Jumeirah.

“I don’t know the ins and outs of it, but I don’t see it as what everyone’s trying to make out. I think it will be sorted out, whether it’s between a manager or a player, on form, or something that we don’t see.

“I think Luiz is an important player for Chelsea and that hasn’t changed in one game,” added the former midfielder, who won three Premier Leagues and a Champions League title in 13 years at the club between 2001 and 2014, scoring a club record 211 goals in 648 appearances.

“If the manager had to make a point because he’s the manager, I think you have to move on and they all have to work for the best of Chelsea and themselves, which means coming back together and carrying on. And I think that’s what will happen, as simple as that.”

Conte was under pressure heading into the United game, having just lost 3-0 away to Roma in the Champions League last week. And some of that was relieved with victory over the side of former Blues boss Jose Mourinho (pictured) on Sunday — they are now fourth in the Premier League, nine points off leaders Manchester City.

However, the pressure immediately flared back up again with talk of a rift with Luiz, and Emenalo’s resignation. That said, Lampard was in full support of Conte. “When you’re a third of the way through the season, for people to talk so negatively and for there to be such a negative vibe around the club is slightly uncalled for. Manchester City are on a different level at the moment, and everyone is trying to stay with them.

“Chelsea will qualify to the next stage of the Champions League and they’ve just beaten Manchester United, so I think people should be quiet and let him do his job.

“You’re only allowed two or three games on the downturn these days and any manager is under pressure, so I think it comes with the territory and I think Antonio Conte (pictured) won’t moan too much, but I just think the acceptance of how great he did in his first season last year shouldn’t be lost by any means. I’m sure he’s a great manager and I’m sure this team will go on, and go forward.

“For him to take the club from 10th the season before with visible problems and make them runaway winners like they were the following year is an achievement that shouldn’t be underplayed.”

Of Emenalo’s resignation, he said: “He was there for a very successful period of the club and I think he made the decision off his own back, so good luck to him.

“He deserves credit, sometimes he got spoken badly about without justification behind the scenes, I think he did a lot of hard work over 10 years during the most successful 10 years in Chelsea’s history.”

Before the Chelsea game, United coach Mourinho had said that Chelsea fans would forget he ever coached the club within five years, but does Lampard believe that?

“No, but I understand where he’s coming from. He’s just trying to be realistic. Chelsea fans will always appreciate the Jose Mourinho era particularly his first spell, because that was the first time Chelsea had won the Premier League in the modern era. They won’t forget that, but he’s gone to United now and things move on.”

Can Conte be the man to put Mourinho’s success at Stamford Bridge firmly in the past? “Conte will obviously have ambitions to win more Premier League titles, Jose won three and I certainly think that if Conte is there for a period of time, he can do. I think Chelsea are always going to be a club that are challenging.”