Frank Lampard appears to have been taking lessons in diplomacy from Neil Lennon judging by his antics at his press briefing on Friday.

Speaking ahead of the FA Cup tie against Luton Town, the Chelsea boss criticised the objectivity of journalist Liam Twomey from The Athletic.

Lampard was asked a question by Twomey about the importance of having Petr Cech alongside in him during difficult times at Stamford Bridge.

His answer had all the hallmarks of someone looking for any excuse to deflect attention from his team’s recent performances.

“To be fair Liam, their confidence would be shot if they were to read some of the pieces you write at the minute,” said Lampard.

“I read them and some of the confirmation bias that you reflect on after games – it’s almost like a social media pundit to try and get a reaction in a negative way.

“I read the pieces when we were doing well and they did not go both ways. So for a journalist to be objective would be a big start because players do read it.”

Lampard beefing Liam Twomey