Frank Lampard

[Rmpr 8,977]

It's one thing I love about Lampard. He likes shooting low and accurate. So many players try to pick our the top corner and the ball goes sailing over the net. So many good things can happen when you get the ball on net. A goal, a corner, a rebound to one of your players. The only thing that can happen when you shoot it 15 rows into the seats is a goal kick.

http://performance.fourfourtwo.com/technique/shoot-like-lampard

Mate, it is incrediblely difficult to keep the ball low and still put a strong and accurate shot.

Many players dont do it because they simply cant...

Lampard has one of the best long and mid-range shots of all time.

[Jusek 2,031]

What a LEGEND! I can watch that gif all night.

[Jase 43,479]

That was simply a gorgeous goal. Haven't seen him scored one like that from distance in ages already and it's great that he managed to do that today.

As for his contract, I really REALLY hope the club offers him a contract extension. Can't imagine the thought of seeing him leaving at the end of the season.

[Hutcho 8,443]

Imagine even if he got a one year deal he would be very likely to break the all time goalscoring record, and that is something i would celebrate like winning a cup final...

[Hamilton 2,118]

Great game by Frank, give this legend a new contract please!!

[super_frank8 186]

Blah, blah, blah - you want to sleep with him, we get it. But one good performance every once a while (and no he was not the best player against Leeds, Mata and Hazard should deserve that accolade) does not a contract make. If he excepts a one rolling year contract (like Drogba was offered only) then he can stay, but he doesn't - so its his choice, not the club.

You just don't get it do you...it is not a single good performance that I base my opinion off of - it is the literal hundreds that he has put in season after season.

Are you seriously going to attempt to convince me that he wasn't instrumental to the greatest achievement this club has ever obtained in the Champions League? & even this season, when many claim that he is past it, he had good performances earlier (such as against Norwich) that have been simply forgotten in similar fashion to the fact that he has just spent almost 2 months out injured. It's not really fair to make a broad assessment of a player when he isn't even on the pitch... & now that he has returned, by no stretch of the imagination has he been poor by any standards - & clearly he is regaining both fitness & form as his last two performances have shown.

In fact his partnership with Luiz today was the most solid & dangerous that our central midfield has looked for a long time, since the days of Ballack/Essien as his partners in crime - surely you're encouraged by that rather than preferring to revert to the outright inefficacy & impotence of the Mikel/Ramires partnership?

Well in any case, regardless of whatever your understanding/lack thereof when it comes to the actual football played on the pitch - at the end of the day, the fact remains that you simply don't dismiss a player of his calibre just because of his age or a minor period of less-than-stellar form - he is indispensible to this club whether you care to admit it or not; & in reality with every post you make you are only further proving your own ignorance & immaturity. It's great that you have an opinion to challenge my own - but when you're going to use the phrase 'Blah, blah, blah' as a retort - well then it pretty much invalidates anything you have to say. But perhaps that is merely a display of your intelligence rather than your apalling attempts at a genuine discussion...only you will know the answer to that...

[Hutcho 8,443]

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

This might have been the last goal he scored for us

JUST-NO!

[The only place to be 11,313]

Good performance which shows he probably still has a place in the squad but him and the club have to find a way to agree on wages, length and the type of role he's expected to play.

He knows this, and he knows that the club will be here long after he goes so they have to look to the future, at the likes of De Bruyne, McEachran, Oscar and Chalobah. No Chelsea fan would want to see him leave but I also think every fan would understand if he felt he could still do it week-in and week-out for a club prepared to pay him close to what he's currently earning, on a long-term contract.

Got a great reception today though and hopefully that reminds him how much he's loved by the Chelsea faithful.

[LayZ 201]

[Jase 43,479]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0686PlzVfY

[Rubber bullets 1,183]

You just don't get it do you...it is not a single good performance that I base my opinion off of - it is the literal hundreds that he has put in season after season.

Are you seriously going to attempt to convince me that he wasn't instrumental to the greatest achievement this club has ever obtained in the Champions League? & even this season, when many claim that he is past it, he had good performances earlier (such as against Norwich) that have been simply forgotten in similar fashion to the fact that he has just spent almost 2 months out injured. It's not really fair to make a broad assessment of a player when he isn't even on the pitch... & now that he has returned, by no stretch of the imagination has he been poor by any standards - & clearly he is regaining both fitness & form as his last two performances have shown.

In fact his partnership with Luiz today was the most solid & dangerous that our central midfield has looked for a long time, since the days of Ballack/Essien as his partners in crime - surely you're encouraged by that rather than preferring to revert to the outright inefficacy & impotence of the Mikel/Ramires partnership?

Well in any case, regardless of whatever your understanding/lack thereof when it comes to the actual football played on the pitch - at the end of the day, the fact remains that you simply don't dismiss a player of his calibre just because of his age or a minor period of less-than-stellar form - he is indispensible to this club whether you care to admit it or not; & in reality with every post you make you are only further proving your own ignorance & immaturity. It's great that you have an opinion to challenge my own - but when you're going to use the phrase 'Blah, blah, blah' as a retort - well then it pretty much invalidates anything you have to say. But perhaps that is merely a display of your intelligence rather than your apalling attempts at a genuine discussion...only you will know the answer to that...

Yes, and that was in the post. Te simple fact s that he is declining as a player and can't give first start performances week in week out, which does not reflect the wages he is getting.

So Lampard was instrumental in winning the champions league? What about Drogba? What about Cech? What about Ramires? Cole? Mata? In my mind they played a more bigger part for these achievements last season and some were not throwing a tantrum in the first half of the season and contributed all year round.

And I'm sorry but I really can't take you seriously, because you seem to get completely offended that some one had the audacity to not give 100% praise to him. Its like thinking that he was not brilliant all the time is a crime. Your fanboyism is just laughable and makes critical debate impossible. He had a good performances today. But they are fewer and fewer and in my opinion keeping him for more then 2 years on massive wages is logical. Experience is not an excuse and if he can't except a one year rolling deal then he has to leave, its his choice and the club should not change their policy for just one player. We are going to experience life without him anyway, and trying to squeeze every last second trying to make him a focal point of thee team is not doing anything for us long term, in fact some might argue that we have become too (at least thinking) reliant on him and have this small mentality that without Lampard equals doom and destruction.

[The Mak 4,459]

@super_frank8, Ok mate, it's pretty clear you love Lamps, most of us do. But the fact remains we were up against a young, inexperienced Villa side who pretty much had the sting taken out of them from the off with Torres' goal. You mentioned he had a great game against Leeds, which I would see as a point against your argument than anything else; yes, his grit and leadership was great but they are a Championship team at the end of the day...I would still worry about Lamps facing the big guns in a DM role, as we all know his strengths, and his defensive abilities are not them. I'd much prefer him coming on/starting as the middle of the 3 AM, but that's just me.

Yes, he needs a contract. Not a big one like he's been on for the past number of years. As much as I love Frank, sentimentality aside, with FFP looming we have to look at things from a business perspective as well; 150k a week for an older player who gradually play less and less, and who seems to be becoming more injury prone, is not a wise move.

His wage should be lessened and give him some appearance based bonuses. If he accepts such a contract it will endear him to the club even more, as it means he too understands that sentimentality should not stop us from progressing, evolving and signing new players.

[DYC. 7,542]

How anyone could say Lamps is/was inferior to Gerrard.. Even now Frank keeps proving them wrong.

[Blue Traveler 256]

Frank should be given 2 year contract. It's still too soon for the club to let him go. this bunch of young players we've got right now, still are immature and need to learn from the likes of Lamps and JT.

[super_frank8 186]

@super_frank8, Ok mate, it's pretty clear you love Lamps, most of us do. But the fact remains we were up against a young, inexperienced Villa side who pretty much had the sting taken out of them from the off with Torres' goal. You mentioned he had a great game against Leeds, which I would see as a point against your argument than anything else; yes, his grit and leadership was great but they are a Championship team at the end of the day...I would still worry about Lamps facing the big guns in a DM role, as we all know his strengths, and his defensive abilities are not them. I'd much prefer him coming on/starting as the middle of the 3 AM, but that's just me.

Yes, he needs a contract. Not a big one like he's been on for the past number of years. As much as I love Frank, sentimentality aside, with FFP looming we have to look at things from a business perspective as well; 150k a week for an older player who gradually play less and less, and who seems to be becoming more injury prone, is not a wise move.

His wage should be lessened and give him some appearance based bonuses. If he accepts such a contract it will endear him to the club even more, as it means he too understands that sentimentality should not stop us from progressing, evolving and signing new players.

Well to be honest, even though I think his perceived weakness defensively is vastly over-exaggerated by his detractors considering he does get back & make tackles a lot if you actually watch him for an entire game, he doesn't need to be particularly exceptional in a defensive capacity with a genuinely solid & more-than-capable defensive player in Luiz alongside him - last time I checked players like Gerrard/Modric aren't exactly the greatest defenders either; but that's why they ideally have a partner in there (Lucas/Alonso/Essien/Sandro etc.) who can make the challenges & break up the play. It's even more of an advantage that Luiz happens to also be a brilliant player in possession - & this just might be the best midfield partnership we have seen for a few seasons, it definitely holds a lot of promise, surely you can see that much.

But yer none of us can predict the future, so we shall see how that pans out against more proficient opposition in the coming weeks with Norwich/Everton/Swansea/Arsenal on the horizon. From today's performance however, you would have to be a fool to believe he doesn't still have it in him to perform at the highest level for at least a couple more seasons.

It's also rather contrived to attempt to justify your reasoning with a 'business perspective'. How you can actually think of Lampard in such a way is astounding. It is not purely for sentimental reasons alone that we should give him a new contract, he is not a statue to be paraded around the Bridge just to give us a little inspiration when the younger guys get all emotional & stroppy - & he's not some old hairy grey welshman/ginger midget that makes a half-decent cameo every now & then - it is because of the player & talisman that he still remains today, especially despite his age. If he was truly in steep decline & actually losing the traits that make him the player that he is, then of course sensibility would prevail over any kind of blindly sentimental value - but that is simply not the case here. He might not be the exact same player he was 5 years ago, but he's still Frank fucking Lampard - & he is still one of the best midfielders in the world.

Do you think Madrid would have ever let Zidane simply walk away at 34 just because he was 'old'? I'm pretty sure Perez along with most Real fans would have rather died than let that happen. Likewise do you think Gerrard is ever going to be let go by Liverpool due to 'business reasons'? Fuck no. That would be complete & utter madness in every sense. It is more likely for the world to end than for that to actually happen. & yet Gerrard in fact hasn't been performing to his very best in recent times, whilst being injury prone for a number of years - but does that change the fact that he is indispensible to Liverpool? Not one single bit.

That is the kind of situation we are looking at right now, except that Frank is even more deserving than the aforementioned individuals - a genuine bona-fide legend who has earned the right to anything he wants in reality considering what he has given to his club week in week out for the last decade - being dismissed & discarded as some kind of unwanted has-been; when he is quite clearly the furthest thing from that as evidenced none more blatantly so than in today's performance. If anyone deserves a contract extension as an exception to the supposed 'rules & policies' for older players at the club - it is Frank. Right alongside Cech, Cole & Terry. All 4 of them are still constantly proving all of their doubters wrong every single season & all 4 should be Chelsea players as long as they continue to perform as consistently & outstandingly as they have done for this club over the years. This is in terms of the football that's played on the pitch, as well as & their presence in the dressing room. They are legends for what they have done in the past - but they continue to be 4 of the best players in the world because of what they are still doing today in the present - as well as what they still have left to contribute to the immediate future.

Tell me something...after letting Drogba walk out the door this summer, can you honestly say without any kind of deception or deflection, that it was not a massive mistake to let him go & that we would not have been so much better off if we still had him this season? Because I find it simply implausible to believe that coming from a true fan of this club who has been watching them every week for years & knows exactly what these legendary world class players bring to the pitch when it matters most.

We are quite literally a different team when we are missing JT & Lamps - the stats alone prove that - but you can see it on the pitch too. Of the two however, Lamps is the one we miss most because of his ability & talent, & the importance of having that in the middle of the park. It really doesn't make sense under any kind of circumstances to allow a player of his class & calibre to just walk away when he is quite clearly still the heart & soul of this team even with the everchanging faces around him.

Look, if you don't agree with me, that's fine - you're entitled to your own opinion as much as I am to mine - but from my point of view I just can't possibly fathom how you are unable to see that Lampard deserves at least a 2 year contract to reward him for all that he has done for this club; if not for his exceptional ability & inspiration on the field that is still there to this very day.

Maybe it didn't tug on your heart-strings as hard as it did mine when he smashed in that absolutely sublime sumptious half-volley today & came off to a standing ovation to celebrate an unbelievable accolade & achievement with his best friend - but for me, the mere sight of it brought emotions too powerful to even put into words - it truly encapsulated exactly why I love this game, why I love this club, & why I love Super fucking Frank Lampard.

[The only place to be 11,313]

a genuine bona-fide legend who has earned the right to anything he wants in reality considering what he has given to his club week in week out for the last decade

That's simply not how clubs can work nowadays. We have to strike the right balance by acknowledging the roles players fulfil now, and not reward them based on reputation alone. The funny thing is that Frank Lampard would be the first person to recognise this. He had a good game today, but the opposition was weak. He's not the same player he was 5 years ago so he shouldn't expect to receive the same contract he did then, and he also needs to understand why the club is doing what it's doing.

but I can't possibly fathom how you can't see that Lampard deserves at least a 2 year contract to reward him for all that he has done for this club; if not for his exceptional ability & inspiration on the field.

Two year contract. That sounds nice.

In reality it's a roughly £10 million commitment to a player who will be 35-37, in a position where we have a lot of competition and tighter restrictions on our spending abilities. He's a legend, and we're a business. Hopefully the negotiations will find a way to marry these two concepts to reach a mutually beneficial outcome.

[super_frank8 186]

That's simply not how clubs can work nowadays. We have to strike the right balance by acknowledging the roles players fulfil now, and not reward them based on reputation alone. The funny thing is that Frank Lampard would be the first person to recognise this. He had a good game today, but the opposition was weak. He's not the same player he was 5 years ago so he shouldn't expect to receive the same contract he did then, and he also needs to understand why the club is doing what it's doing.

Two year contract. That sounds nice.

In reality it's a roughly £10 million commitment to a player who will be 35-37, in a position where we have a lot of competition and tighter restrictions on our spending abilities. He's a legend, and we're a business. Hopefully the negotiations will find a way to marry these two concepts to reach a mutually beneficial outcome.

Mate, if you're only going to pick & choose minute phrases out of that entire wall of text that I posted - seriously - just fuck off.

I quite clearly made the point that it is not on reputation/sentimental value alone that he deserves a contract - it is based on the player that he still is today. I know that he is not the same player he was 5 years ago, no one is claiming that & in fact I said that much but conveniently you didn't bother to quote that part. But he isn't exactly a shadow of his former self either, he definitely still has the technical prowess, vision & composure that he has always had, even if he doesn't have the legs that he once did. The fact is though, that pace/pure running ability was & never will be the focal point of his game - so it is ultimately irrelevant. Especially so when he has a midfield partner such as Luiz who is relentless in his desire & hunger for the ball.

& I really don't know where all of you are getting this 'inside scoop' on contract negotiations, but how exactly is it that you happen to know what Frank is asking for? I would imagine that is relatively classified information available only to the player & his agent & the club...but maybe you know something that I don't? & maybe you don't realise what Lamps makes for the club in terms of merchandise sales too - him & JT are easily the best selling prints - & though it may be minor in the overall annual revenue compared to gate sales, profit is profit & they make it on a daily basis with their names alone.

Nevertheless, I'm sure that if push comes to shove, at the end of the day Lamps will have no problem taking a slight pay cut - but a significant one? That would be insulting to him as a player & a servant to this club. Business or not, it is a matter of respect & even Abramovich is able to grasp that concept of humanity. Again, he may not be the player he once was - but he's still certainly one of the best around & there would be many a top club more than happy to have him in their ranks - I'm just not sure why you aren't?

It's great to think about the future & all, but the way you speak is as if a player like Lampard is a dime-a-dozen average run-of-the-mill midfielder who comes & goes - when in reality, he is indisputably irreplaceable & I guarantee that none of us will ever see a goal-scoring midfielder as complete & inspiring as he is any time soon.