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Lampard the legend - surplus to requirements?


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Whichever way you look at it, it is important to realise that Frank Lampard is the greatest player to have ever pulled on the Chelsea shirt

Ron 'Chopper' Harris, Roy Bentley, Gianfranco Zola, Peter Osgood, Bobby Tambling, Didier Drogba - all have fair cases to assume that mantle. But it is Lampard that just about edges it. Having won ten major honours with the club (and plenty others besides), including wearing the captain's armband on that night in Munich, countless individual accolades, and the hearts of Blues supporters worldwide, Frank Lampard the phenomenon will be regarded as Chelsea's greatest player - and with good reason.

This is a man who is the ultimate professional, according to José Mourinho. He trains ridiculously hard and gives nothing short of everything on the pitch. Even just days after the death of his mother, Pat, Frank had the courage to step up and bury a penalty in a Champions League semi-final against Liverpool. The ultimate big-game player, Lampard has been the saviour of Chelsea Football Club on more occasions than the average Englishman has had fish and chips - and it is no surprise when you take a moment to consider the extraordinary career he has enjoyed.

An incredible number of goals for the club - 189 not out, and still counting - emphasises his importance to the cause. Along with John Terry, Frank has been one half of the (until recently) seemingly ever-present spine of the team. Stalwarts like Drogba, Ashley Cole and Petr Cech may have been just as vital cogs in the Chelsea machine, but it is Lampard and Terry - the evergreen English core of the team - that has guided this side to triumph after triumph, albeit through the occasional stormy patch.

Yet on evidence of the last season or so, this famous partnership may be entering its long-avoided Autumn.

Based on policies of form, fitness and rotation, first Andre Villas-Boas and now Roberto di Matteo have seen fit to exclude both players from their starting elevens; at first every now and again, now with regularity to such an extent that eyebrows are raised when either player features in a string of more than three or four matches at a time.

Under Mourinho, Lampard was one of the 'Untouchables'. However, this was a warranted title - between 2004 and 2007, there was a case for Frank being the very best central midfield player in European football. He was the main man, regardless of whoever was signed as an alternative. Deco didn't last particularly long at Stamford Bridge, and Mourinho had to find other ways to accommodate Michael Essien and Michael Ballack into his side, simply because of the fact that Lampard was still the guiding light. It was not until the 2010/11 season when injury limited him to just 32 appearances - a number about 20 short of his usual seasonal tally - that the prospect of a "Lampardless" Chelsea became a reality.

Even in 2011/12, with Villas-Boas' very public chastising of the player, Frank stilled ended up making 49 appearances and ending the season as Chelsea's top goalscorer with a very credible 16 strikes to his name, thanks to impeccable fitness levels, goalscoring abilities and leadership qualities - three key attributes that have long justified his deserved 'Untouchable' tag. Though his performance levels fluctuated that season between good and awful (some supporters were very vocal in their support of both coaches resigning Frank to the bench), Lampard ultimately silenced his doubters by helping the side to a Champions League and FA Cup double.

Do not underestimate Lampard's recent contributions to the side. Because of his swashbuckling performances under The Special One, it would appear that anything less than a goal-a-game showing is tantamount to a good slagging off.

frank_lampard_1458870c.jpgBut some - admittedly not all - of the criticism was grossly unfair and exaggerated. Lampard's importance to the side is both physical and psychological - not only is he a great player and person, Frank is an exceptional leader. A Chelsea teamsheet with the name FRANK LAMPARD scrawled across it just resonates strength and experience - or, at least, it did.

The truth of the matter is that Lampard's inclusion in the side is no longer a given. Regardless of almost 600 appearances and the fact he is very close to overtaking Kerry Dixon as the second-highest goalscorer in the history of the football club, his age and ability dictate that he is no longer the same Frank Lampard. No more is the box-to-box general that makes ceaseless late surges into the box. Rather than almost being a second striker, he is now the deep-lying instigator of play (something for which Claude Makelele was revered in godlike fashion for, yet Frank is seemingly unfashionable in this capacity). Here, his criminally under-rated creativity and vision are best utilised through a combination of fleet-footed immediate awareness and the ability to pick out a 60-yard pass.

Yet di Matteo has other options. The attacking trinity of Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar are key to the way that the Chelsea of today operates. For them to exert their dominance on the pitch, a holding midfielder is required, and the discipline of John Mikel Obi is absolutely pivotal. Meanwhile, dynamism is needed; a link player with boundless energy like Ramires, or even Victor Moses. That leaves very little room to manoeuvre for di Matteo to filter Lampard in.

Particular matches call for old, wizened heads, and the experience of Lampard on the big stage alone is enough to justify his participation in the clashes against the 'big' clubs; Arsenal, Tottenham, the Manchester clubs - even Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid. What Lampard is undeniably always able to bring to the party is his big-game-player attribute, where his absolute best is enough to deny the best in the world.

Look back to the Barcelona matches in the Champions League semi-finals last season. General Lampard in the middle of the pitch created two goals with incredible vision and confidence. The tackle of Messi and the through-ball to Ramires for Didier Drogba's winning goal at Stamford Bridge screams of his tenacity, work-rate and commitment. An even better threaded pass created the tie-changing moment; Ramires' away goal in the Nou Camp. With Terry red-carded, it was up to the vice-captain to burden himself with leadership responsibilities. Frank threw down the gauntlet and the rest is history.

Roberto di Matteo is building a new Chelsea side; a younger one, with more emphasis on creativity and flair. Roman Abramovich's vision has always to seen Chelsea win titles - a revision to that means he demands the quality of football to match. Luis Felipe Scolari, Carlo Ancelotti and Villas-Boas were all able to achieve that, but only to a minimal effect before their sides were eventually effectively 'found out' by the opposition.

What di Matteo is charged with, is the demand for a total transformation in ideology. Whether Frank Lampard is a part of it remains to be seen - particularly with a big-money move to either the United States or China on the cards. Lampard will want a multi-year deal when his contract expires this summer - the fact is he will only be offered a one-year extension. Sentiment will not be a factor; Didier Drogba was not given the grace of the two-year deal he craved even just days after winning the Champions League. The same applies to Joe Cole and Michael Ballack, who left weeks after securing the club's first ever domestic double.

The curtain is most definitely falling on Frank Lampard's fantastic Chelsea career - though not necessarily by his own hand. What is certain, however, is that this man, with his eleven years worth of service, will rightly be remembered as the all-time great player of this football club.

Not bad for £11 million. Not bad at all.

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Thank you Alex for this article (you know my love for Frank). I've been saying that in recent years and I agree with you - actually you have been saying it also for a long time - that Frank Lampatd is the greatest Chelsea player ever.

Lampard has been the saviour of Chelsea Football Club on more occasions than the average Englishman has had fish and chips

I've always loved your style :D

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Personally last season I was with AVB in the sense of leaving him out - I was blind.

When AVB got fired I couldn't help but blame Lamps for being the door closing on AVB's transformation attempts, so in the heat of the moment I created a thread against FranK Lampard...a thread which I am truly sorry for.

I've seen what this man has done for our club and he is probably the best player to have ever graced our team.

It is sad to see him coming to the end of his Chelsea career, also sad to see our "untouchables" era come to an end, arguably the best era in our history (grateful to be living in that era)..... but I look to the future and I see a new era full of glory and prosperity.

Forever Lamps...Forever the "old guard"

FOREVER CHELSEA

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Makelele was more of a holding player than a deep lying instigator.

Absolutely, but I am inferring the quote where Mourinho said Makelele was his most important attacking player, because his simple little passes started off every move. Every pass from the defence into the midfield came through him.

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Surplus to requirements, maybe but he's done so much for this club it's unbelievable. His goal against Norwich was typical Lamps of a few years ago. The Arsenal game showed a lot about our 'new team' though and you would think his contract will not be renewed. Time to move on probably, although if he stays and becomes a squad player, i wont mind. He can play against the Fulhams, Stokes, Villas etc.

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I honestly think you should print this onto the front of a birthday card and send it to Frank next June 20th. He will cum in his pants and it will probably top any birthday present money has to offer. =)

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Surplus to requirements? Not yet. Last season, Lampard was still among our best players and this year he still offers something that no other player does which is creativity from the central midfield. He'll still start plenty of games this season and in a perfect world, would stay on for a couple more years as a rotation player/super sub.

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For years, It has been pretty clear to me that Frank's our best player ever and I can tell he's the favourite player of the major part of all chelsea fans I've met. Drogba and Terry have let us down on several occasions in big games, Lampard never did, his reliablility is kind of superhuman. But he's not only our best player ever but simply belongs in the same category as Zidane or Maradonna and probably the greatest guy who has ever graced English football. He simply still deserves a World Footballer of the Year and a EPL-topscorer award but he has won so many individual and team honours, he won't care. Hopefully he amkes it another 20 goals this season and smashes that Bobby Tambling record. No idea why he cannot take successive one-year extensions, He can still have a big money move afterwards.

Btw. terrific(triffic) article, I am a big Lamps fan and could not have put it better

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Great article but Gianfranco is still the best for me. He was something else. Their teams can't be compared so the thropies won are irrelevant.

But again, good article.

Zola was more gifted as a footballer, but if you look at the totality, Frank Lampard is the greatest Chelsea player of all time. You may not think that now but when it's time for him to retire, it won't even be a debate.

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Great article Alex.

Going to be brutally honest, if we want to change our style then Lamps will have a much much more minimal role to play than his in recent seasons, simply because players like Mata, Oscar and Hazard are probably technically better suited to what we are trying to do in terms of philosophy. Still Lamps service to the club since he moved is incredible, scored nearly 200 goals for us, played over 600 games and has also set up plenty of goals for team mates. An incredible player a few years back, maybe not as good now due to him aging but he has still turned in some good performances so far this season and last season too. I don't think he'll get his contract renewed sadly due to the 1 year rule thing but if he wants to continue playing I think a move to the MLS is a good idea for him, also it is good for us as we don't have to pay a hefty salary with the new FFP rules coming in. It will be a big loss but I think the players we have signed in the last few transfer windows (Mata, Oscar, Moses, Hazard etc) will be able to score goals/set them up to match the numbers Frank was producing each season. Probably Chelsea's greatest player to date though, well him or Zola in my opinion, its a tough one to call.

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