Lambert relishes Chelsea test

Packed stadium
It is hardly a surprise with champions Chelsea FC the visitors to the English fourth division side for the first leg of their League Cup semi-final tonight. Yet if a packed stadium is big news in Wycombe, a quiet town within commuting distance of London, it is meat and drink to Wanderers manager Paul Lambert, a man who needs no introduction to the big stage.

Upset the odds
Ten years ago this spring Lambert was helping BV Borussia Dortmund upset the odds against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League final - and in so doing, becoming the first British player in 13 years to get his hands on the European Champion Clubs' Cup. In 2003, as Celtic FC captain, he traded blows with José Mourinho's FC Porto in a thrilling UEFA Cup final that eventually went the way of the Portuguese team.

Ambitious
Lambert is no stranger to the limelight but the visit of Chelsea undoubtedly marks the biggest moment in his fledgling managerial career. Showing the same appetite which led him as an unsung Motherwell FC midfielder to drive himself over to Germany and convince Dortmund he was worthy of a contract, the 37-year-old did all his coaching badges in Germany before accepting his first post at Scottish Premier League side Livingston FC in summer 2005. Although he resigned just seven months later, his ambition was undimmed.

So far, so good
He took charge at Wycombe last summer after their directors received a glowing recommendation from Martin O'Neill, his old boss at Celtic who himself took his first significant steps in management at the club. The Wycombe job also served as a launch pad for the Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez, who led them to the FA Cup semi-finals in 2001, so Lambert certainly has examples to follow, and it is a case of so far, so good for the former Scottish international.

'Awesome' task
Besides challenging for promotion, Lambert has led the Chairboys to victories against Premiership sides Fulham FC and Charlton Athletic FC en route to the League Cup semi-finals. Having experienced life on most rungs of the football ladder, the Scot is realistic enough to describe as "awesome" the prospect of facing a Chelsea side ranked 72 places higher in the league and League Cup winners in 2005.

No fear
Yet this quietly determined individual also acknowledged that shocks happen, saying: "If you're off your game a little bit and the other team punches above its weight, you end up in a bit of trouble." Overcoming Chelsea would dwarf the surprise of Dortmund's victory against Juventus but recalling his coach Ottmar Hitzfeld's pre-match words that May 1997 night, Lambert said: "I'll say to the team much the same as Hitzfeld said to me that night: 'Be respectful but don't be afraid. They are only footballers, just the same as you.'"